X Factor: Gary Barlow is given the over-25s in new series

GARY BARLOW has been lumbered with the tricky Over 25s group on The X Factor after Simon Cowell rang the judges personally and dished out their categories.

The songwriter now has the job of trying to create the first winner from the Overs category since Steve Brookstein won the first series in 2004.

Louis Walsh has got the notoriously difficult Groups category, Tulisa Contostavlos has the Girls and new judge Nicole Scherzinger has got the Boys.

Last night a source told TV Biz: "Gary doesn't like joke acts and the Overs category is often full of novelty acts.

"In the past, when Louis has mentored them, the public got used to jokey acts like Wagner Carrilho and Johnny Robinson.

"Gary is preparing himself for an uphill battle."

However, he has booked his venue for the judges' houses round — in Mallorca.

Wife Dawn is due to give birth the week of the round but Gary has persuaded her to let him go away as far as the Spanish island.

And he has even persuaded Take That bandmate Robbie Williams to join him to help out, despite Robbie's daughter being due at the same time. The source said: "For men as rich as Gary and Robbie, Mallorca is only a couple of hours away. They've worked out a way they can jet back if they need to."

Tulisa's destination has also been settled — she will fly out to the Caribbean for her Girls.

And she should already have a decent tan when she gets there - next week she will be in Hawaii filming her latest music video.

She wants a sun-drenched summer to unwind after a stressful six months fighting her ex over the release of her sex tape.

A source said: "She absolutely can't wait. She is young, free and single and determined not to let anyone bring her down again."

Read More @ Source

More Celeb Stories Here