Simon Cowell breaks silence on Cheryl Cole sacking

The pair still haven’t spoken, yet the media mogul insists he’d hire her again 'in a heartbeat'

Simon Cowell has finally broken his silence on Cheryl Cole’s controversial sacking from the American X Factor, comparing the famous Girl Aloud to the late Princess Diana, and insisting he'd hire her again 'in a heartbeat'.

PICS: CHERYL’S USA X FACTOR DEBUT

Speaking of the reasons behind Ms C’s swift exit from the show, he said the songstress was ‘a different person’ in the US, which led him to believe she may be happier at home.

‘I came to the conclusion that she may not be as comfortable [in the US] because I was seeing a different person,’ Simon told the Hollywood Reporter.

‘She was like Princess Diana when she would walk out in England, and I accepted the fact that people didn’t know her here, but I think it did have an effect on her.’

He continued: ‘I said, "Cheryl, you’ve got to raise your game a bit. This is America, it’s a much tougher market”.’

But Simon was quick to add that when bosses decided Cheryl would leave the US show, it was all but agreed that she would return to the panel in England.

‘We had gotten to the point where she wanted my dressing room,’ he said. ‘It was decided: She’d come back on Wednesday and we wouldn’t tell the media. Then it leaked and got unpleasant. She missed the deadline which meant she’d lost the UK show.

‘I asked Will.i.am, “How does she feel about it?” He said, “It’s none of your concern.”

He added: ‘Then I got nervous. I called back to tell him: “I don’t care what you say; if she wants to come back, she’s got the gig. But if I don’t hear from her by Sunday, the deal’s off.”

‘I never heard from her. That was it. I think her silence was quite damning.’

‘I stand by the decisions I’ve made, and I knew the implications when I did it publicly – that I was going to get slaughtered, and I did.’

So now we know.

Do YOU think Simon made the right move axing Cheryl from the American X Factor show? Let us know in the comments box below.

PICS: CHERYL’S USA X FACTOR DEBUT

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