X Factor bosses have delayed Gary Barlow's Judges' Houses stage until his wife gives birth.
Gary's wife, Dawn, is expecting the couple's fourth child together, so producers have decided to wait until September to film him choosing his final four to ensure he is around for the birth.
Fellow judges Louis Walsh, Tulisa Contostavlos and Nicole Scherzinger will go ahead with their house slot in August, where they will choose their best four acts for the live shows.
It was recently revealed Gary had refused to film Judges' Houses in the US. Last year he travelled to Los Angeles to film that segment of the talent show but he has ruled out bosses' plans to send him to New York for the new series because he is worried about missing the birth.
A source said: "Gary's daughter is due to arrive at exactly the same time as Judge's Houses are set to be filmed. Gary is really torn - he wants to be with his acts but he knows he can't miss his daughter's birth.
"You could see Gary making a hospital dash on the show. This really is reality TV."
