Simon Cowell: Why Cheryl Cole Was Fired from X Factor
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Simon says...
Fans were shocked when the former U.K. X Factor judge Cheryl Cole was dropped from the American spin-off's panel of judges in an 11th hour decision on May 23 -- to only be replaced a week later by Nicole Scherzinger. And while former American Idol judge and X Factor creator Simon Cowell attributed the British singer's departure to homesickness, he has now opened up about exactly what went down in a recent interview on Radar.
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"After two cities, I offered [Cheryl] the job, which initially she accepted," Cowell, 51, said on Saturday. "And then unfortunately when it went public, the negotiations fell apart, so I though she would be more comfortable doing the U.K. show than the American show."
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"For certain reasons, [she] decided not to [come back to the U.K.] And that's why it ended up the way it is," he added.
But despite homesickness claims, a source close to Scherzinger told Us Weekly in June that Cowell was more concerned with the panel's chemistry.
"Throughout the whole decision making process, Simon was really torn between Cheryl and Nicole. He absolutely loved Nicole, really felt like she was the right one, but also knew his chemistry with Cheryl had been great before in the U.K. He finally decided on the more comfortable option and chose Cheryl."
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Cowell, who co-judged the show's U.K. installment with Cole, 28, from 2008 to 2010, admitted that their friendship hasn't been so sunny. "I am sorry for the way it worked out as we were incredibly close. She is still grumpy with me."
The X Factor, whose final panel of judges include Cowell, Scherzinger, L.A. Reid and Paula Abdul, premieres on FOX September 21.
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2It makes sense to cast Nicole as her popularity didn't diminish even after the break up of the PCD. Love Simon Cowell! Love it even more when I watch him using my smart phone. DISH Network's sling adapter technology gives you the ability to turn your laptop or smart phone into a mobile tv. Catch Simon's latest project with your DISH Network subscription and SLING technology everywhere you go.It makes sense to cast Nicole as her popularity didn't diminish even after the break up of the PCD. I think Simon always makes the best decisions. Love Simon Cowell! Love it even more when I watch him using my smart phone. DISH Network's sling adapter technology gives you the ability to turn your laptop or smart phone into a mobile tv. Catch Simon's latest project with your DISH Network subscription and SLING technology everywhere you go. I love my SLING and it's not just because I work at DISH Network. It's because Dish Network's technology let's me keep up with my programming. http://bit.ly/mKO2XE. I love my SLING and it's not just because I work at DISH Network. It's because Dish Network's technology let's me keep up with my programming.
His comment has been taken out of context here. He said he offered her the UK show and negotiations broke down when it went public then he said he offered her the US show back again and it was then that he said for certain reasons she decided not to come back. So that part wasn't about the UK show.