'X Factor': Will.i.am to Appear as Guest Mentor

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We may not know who’s hosting the series, but one more notable name has been added to The X Factor roster.

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Will.i.am, the multi-talented rapper, singer, producer, songwriter and philanthropist, will appear during the judges' homes portion of the series alongside Britney Spears, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

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This will not be the first time Will.i.am has given his expertise to reality singing contestants. Earlier this year, the Black Eyed Peas frontman served as a coach on the U.K. version of The Voice. His contestant, Tyler James, was one of two runner-ups on the series.

THR recently caught up with Will.i.am at the Democractic National Convention, where he declined to speak about any of his current music-related projects. He did, however, have a lot to say about the government.

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The X Factor debuted last night to softer ratings than its season-one premiere, despite the addition of new judges Spears and Demi Lovato. Preliminary numbers showed the Fox series tying its direct competition, The Voice on NBC, averaging a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49 on Wednesday, a 25 percent drop from last year’s series premiere.

Last season, Enrique Iglesias, Pharrell Williams and Rihanna each pitched in as guest mentors, while previously scheduled Mariah Carey (who recently signed on as the newest American Idol judge) was unable to participate due to Hurricane Irene.  

The second part of the season-two premiere airs 8 p.m. Thursday on Fox. A representative from the network had no comment on this story.

Email: Sophie.Schillaci@thr.com; Twitter: @SophieSchillaci