Mel B will miss the X Factor final tonight through illness and will be replaced by former judge Tulisa Contostavlos, the show has confirmed.
The former Spice Girl will miss the show at Wembley, where her act Italian Andrea Faustini faces Ben Haenow and Fleur East, on doctors orders, a spokesman said.
The pop star, 39, was absent from an X Factor press conference on Thursday.
The spokesman said: "Unfortunately Mel is still unwell and following doctors' advice she will not be taking part in Saturday's show. Tulisa will join the panel as a guest judge."
As well as the final three acts, the shows - which include the results show tomorrow - will also feature Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, One Direction, Meghan Trainor, Olly Murs and Demi Lovato.
Mel B has been a judge on this series alongside the show's supremo Simon Cowell, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and show veteran Louis Walsh.
Contostavlos, who was a judge for two series and has made a guest appearance on the current series, is making a comeback to the music world with a new single entitled Living Without You, after drugs allegations that threatened to destroy her career.
The former N-Dubz singer's trial for allegedly brokering a cocaine deal collapsed earlier this year after the judge said there were ''strong grounds'' to believe tabloid journalist Mazher Mahmood lied in the witness box.
Contostavlos appeared in the current series when she joined Walsh for the judges' houses stage of the competition.
Other big names who have appeared as judges on the show include Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne, Dannii Minogue, and Gary Barlow.
Londoner East wowed the judges last week with Uptown Funk and she is 4-11 favourite to win.
Bookmaker William Hill has put her ahead of the other two finalists, with Haenow at 11-4 and Faustini at 12-1.
A pair of songs which have failed to make the UK top 40 have been lined up for winner's singles.
Faustini will release a cover of the late Whitney Houston's song I Didn't Know My Own Strength, while Haenow and East have recorded a version of the OneRepublic track Something I Need if either of them win.
The tracks are both by artists signed to labels which are part of Sony Music, the company which signs up the winning acts from the show.
Overnight, Cowell took to Twitter to post tweets ahead of the "closest final ever" but did not refer to Mel B.
In a series of tweets, he said: "All of the rehearsals finished for X factor later tonight. This is going to be the closest final ever. Expect some spectacular performances.
"And of course a huge thank you to everyone who has watched and voted. It's always appreciated."
He also said "a big thank you" to the person who brought his total number of Twitter followers to 11 million.
Fernandez-Versini this afternoon tweeted: "Absolutely gutted Mel is not able to make it tonight after all the love and hard work she has put into getting Andrea here."
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