Weeks spent dishing out frank assessments of performers' live singing ability mean Cheryl Cole's own voice has a lot to live up to.
But on Sunday night she ruled out the possibility of anyone finding fault with her own voice by miming parts of her X Factor performance.
After initially denying that she had mimed any of the song, show insiders suggested that she had not sung all of it.
The star was caught out after fans took to the internet to say they were convinced that the Girls Aloud singer mimed her vocals during the performance.
Those watching at home had also not been told that her entire routine was recorded in front of the studio audience an hour before the show started. It appeared to viewers that she was performing her new single Promise This live.
The 27-year-old made her singing comeback three months after contracting malaria and was given a rapturous applause from the studio audience.
Her performance came on the same show that singer John Adeleye became the latest contestant to be voted off. The budding pop star suffered after his routine came under fire for a distracting dance performance on Saturday night.
British network ITV claimed the decision to pre-record the show was made as it was impractical for Cole to carry out her judging duties if she was also singing on the show. They did the same when she performed Fight For This Love on the show last year.
Other shows including BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing also pre-record singing performances.
On this series of The X Factor Cole has come under fire from fans for deciding not to pick Zimbabwean Gamu Nhengu. But all of the acts in her category remain in the competition.
