Iggy Azalea joins ‘The X Factor’

Rap star Iggy Azalea is joining the judging panel of the Australian version of ‘X Factor’.

Azalea is replacing Dannii Minogue who has left the show after three seasons to focus on her music career. There’s no word yet on whether the other judges from last year will be returning. The most recent residents behind the desk have been Chris Isaak and James Blunt and Guy Sebastian.

Past judges have included Redfoo, Mel B, Kate Ceberano, Natalie Bassingthwaite, Kyle Sandilands, Natalie Imbruglia and Boyzone singer Ronan Keating – who has now jumped over to rival talent show ‘The Voice’.

Azalea’s return to Australia follows a difficult year in the USA for the rapper. The ‘Fancy’ singer faced criticism for her appropriation of other cultures and was forced to defend historical tweets on social media that were deemed racist and homophobic.

The controversy saw Azalea pull out of the lineup of a gay pride festival in Pittsburgh in 2015. The musician later appeared at a Pride event in Miami Beach in early April.

was born in Sydney but grew up in Mullumbimby in rural New South Wales, she moves to the USA when she was 16 to pursue her music career.

Her new album ‘Digital Distortion’ is expected to drop any day now.