Smell of success? Nicole Scherzinger samples some sweet scents on shopping trip ahead of X Factor USA finale The pressure is on

The pressure is on as Nicole Scherzinger waits to find out whether her finalist Josh Krajcik has won The X Factor USA.

Josh, Simon Cowell’s Melanie Amaro and L.A Reid’s Chris Rene all made their final competitive performances on Wednesday but only one of them can take home the $5 million recording contract prize tonight.

And with such a huge responsibility on her hands, what better way for a girl to get rid of stomach-curdling nerves than with a spot of retail therapy?

Smell of success? The 33-year-old's future lies in the hands of bosses and sponsors according to Simon Cowell, but a win from Josh Krajcik's could help

Nicole was spotted at celebrity-favourite shopping spot, The Grove, in Los Angeles this week, no doubt aiming to rid herself of all butterflies relating to the talent show.

As rumours surface that she will get booted off the judging panel when the first series ends, it looks like Scherzinger may end up dropping some serious cash in an effort to relieve her nerves.

After Simon Cowell told TV Guide that 'we change these shows all the time. You listen to the network, you listen to the sponsors,' in response to whether she will return to the next series, the 33-year-old took her frustrations out on her wallet.

Over-thinking it? Nicole Scherzinger appeared to have things on her mind during her shopping trip at The Grove shopping centre in Los Angeles this week

The singer enjoyed a spree at the West Hollywood shopping centre as she donned a long-sleeved black frock which fell just above the knees.

The star- who recently ended her relationship with Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, due to their busy work schedules – appeared shapely as her dress nipped her in at the waist and accentuated her curves with odd swirled material features on both her shoulders.

With her hair swept back into a braided bun and skyhigh shoe boots, she looked vampish as she slicked on a touch of red lipstick and wore over-sized dark sunglasses.

Merry Christmas baby! Scherzinger made herself feel better by picking up some festivewear for pets at an outdoor stall

But she didn’t forget it was the season of giving and also made a stop at a kiosk dedicated to pets’ clothing.

While Nicole is planning to dress a dog as Father Christmas to induce Christmas cheer, she had better watch out for reknowned lathario and X Factor USA host Steve Jones.

The Welshman is hot on her heels and says that if Simon Cowell does fire him from the show after series one, he will pursue Nicole romantically.

London’s Metro newspaper reports that he said: ‘‘If I ever leave X Factor, Scherzinger’s phone will be smoking hot from me ringing it constantly because if we’re not colleagues – oh, she’s fair game. Oh, yeah.’

Although the pair have become extremely close, Jones says that at present they are just ‘colleagues and good friends.’

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

I like how people w/ marginal singing talent land a job judging other's ability to sing. Simon must have been considering other factors when he hired this one.

Does her stylist intentionally set out to make her look ten years older than she actually is and as hard as nails?

i love nicole as x factor judge! she's a great performer and can sing live! PAULA ABDUL CANNOT SING LIVE! i follow the show b/c of nicole!

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