The Seven Network will bring The X Factor back to Australian screens later this year, after striking a deal with the franchise's Australian and British rights owners.

Seven had been in negotiations over several months with Fremantle Media - which owns the distribution rights for the show in Australia - and Syco, the entertainment company founded by The X Factor's creator Simon Cowell.

The judging panel will comprise Kyle Sandilands and the well-known singers Natalie Imbruglia, Guy Sebastian and Ronan Keating.

The show's website indicates that auditions for contestants on the programme begin in Perth on 30 May, continuing in other cities during June.

Both Seven and Nine had expressed interest this year in acquiring the rights to produce an Australian version of the international format, as previously reported in TSR. The Ten Network aired an Australian version in 2005, but the adaptation was generally seen as unsuccessful.

Media Spy discussion: The X Factor