Barlow to keep X Factor acts in UK

Gary Barlow looks set to stay in the UK for the judges' houses segment of this year's X Factor as he continues to come to terms with the loss of his unborn child.

Often during that stage of the competition, the panellists take the acts in their charge to sunny or exotic locations and there had been talk of Gary heading to Majorca for the latest series.

But he is now thought to be looking at remaining in this country with his acts for the next phase of the series, which begins on ITV1 on Saturday.

Baby Poppy was delivered stillborn just under a fortnight ago when Gary's wife Dawn, a former dancer, was eight months pregnant.

Last year the Take That star was located at a home in Los Angeles, where he was accompanied by bandmate Robbie Williams.

But a show source said Gary "doesn't want to go too far, understandably".

During the judges' houses section of the programme Gary and his fellow panellists Louis Walsh, Tulisa Contostavlos and Nicole Scherzinger get to know their acts better, put them through their paces and then whittle down their number to decide who makes it to the live stages.