With her chic bobbed hair, her stunning trim figure and that cheeky but charming down-to-earth attitude - Dannii Minogue became the true star of this year's X Factor. However, there are doubts that she will return to the show after it was revealed that that Dannii is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Kris Smith.
Minogue today confirmed the news through a spokesperson who said: "Dannii and Kris are very excited and can't wait to start their family in 2010... Dannii had her 12 week scan this week and was given the results today with the all clear to make an announcement."
The X Factor judge, 39, is said to be "over the moon" and so is her partner Kris Smith, who has made no secret of his desire to start a family with the Australian beauty. Dannii's baby is due in summer - at the same time as auditions for the next X Factor begin, increasing gossip over her future as a judge.
In October last year, Dannii appeared on Piers Morgan's Life Stories on ITV and Kris pre-recorded a message.
Kris, 30, said: "She's the one. I have never felt like this before. I was brought up around children so I'm really keen to have children but the answer I get is, 'Well, if you can go through the nine months and you can have the babies then, yes, I'm in.' I mean, how hard can it be?"
After watching it, Dannii said: "I need a lot of convincing. It's never been part of my world. I've never been maternal. I almost thought I was going to escape it and now I'm in a relationship that is just so right, maybe I have to think about it."
Yet X Factor contestant Stacey Solomon, 20, who was mentored by Dannii, recently said that Dannii started to long for a child of her own after spending time with her 18-month-old son Zach.
Stacey said: "When Dannii came round she was playing with Zach and he loved her. She's great with kids."
