Cheryl sports a dazzling smile AND dress after returning from sunshine break in Tanzania

• X Factor chiefs are panicking over auditions clashing with England's World Cup match on Wednesday

By Jessica Satherley
After spending a whirlwind getaway with Derek Hough in Tanzania, Cheryl Cole jetted back to Britain this morning and went straight to work beaming a megawatt smile.

As she arrived for X Factor’s London auditions in a tangerine dress and houndstooth heels, the 26-year-old couldn’t wipe the cheeky grin off her face, leaving everyone pondering what she exactly got up to with the dancer in Africa.

But as she prepared for auditions with her fellow X Factor judges, the talent show's bosses were desperate to avoid a World Cup clash.

Cheeky grin: So what really happened in Tanzania to put that big smile on Cheryl Cole's face?

Fan fun: Cheryl Cole poses with fans ahead of the X Factor auditions in London

Realisation struck ITV over the weekend that they filming for Wednesday’s auditions coincides with England’s crucial Group C qualifier.

Kick-off for the match against Slovenia is at 3pm, while audience members need to be seated for the X Factor at 2pm and shooting won’t finish until 5pm.

The predicament has terrified X Factor bosses, who fear their audience will ditch the show in order to watch the match.

Cheryl's been Tangoed: The X Factor judge wore a bright orange dress for the London auditions today

They have even gone so far as begging audience members to attend the auditions with a letter saying: ‘The X Factor auditions will continue as planned. Choose Dermot and Simon over our boys in South Africa.’

Letters were sent to 5,000 ticket-holders and added: ‘The judges and contestants are ready.  All we wait for now are you, the audience’, The Sun reported.

Show bosses have assured fans that they will keep the audience up to date on scores from the match in breaks between filming.