Simon Cowell Reveals Truth About Cheryl Cole X Factor USA Sacking

Simon Cowell has revealed his feelings over Cheryl Cole's recent sacking as judge on X Factor USA.

The Girls Aloud star was sacked from the programme last week reportedly amid concerns from US TV bosses over her Newcastle accent.

The music mogul has now admitted that he 'embarrassed' Cheryl Cole over the whole incident and never meant for it to be anything 'personal'.

"I'm sorry. I hope we're still close friends. She's still a star. The hardest thing to accept is that everyone has painted me as a monster because I embarrassed her.But the truth was I was protecting her. I just want people to be in the best place at the right time," Cowell told The Sun.

He added: "We noticed she was quieter than normal. The feeling was that she was slightly out of her comfort zone in America. The intention was to do it quietly and say to her she had an option to rejoin the UK show.

Cowell is one of the other X Factor judges along with Paula Abdul and LA Reid. The programme is due to begin in August.

Cheryl Cole's X Factor USA Story