Cheryl Cole is “in hiding” after her ‘X Factor’ firing: is Simon Cowell to blame?

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Okay, as the day goes on, we’re getting more information about The Firing of Cheryl Cole. Even though I tend to think the girl is useless in general, I feel so bad for her. This isn’t like a bad breakup, like a dude you love dumping you and going off with someone younger. In that situation, you still have your career, you can still “fall back” on other things, and you can move on. When you’re as big of a celebrity as Cheryl is (in England), being fired from your big American debut before you even got the chance to prove yourself means that your career takes a massive hit. It’s embarrassing on every level. It’s so awful that it’s going to affect Cheryl’s career in England. Us Weekly has a report on what really went down on The X Factor set, and they’re making it seem like the real problem was that Simon began doubting his loyalty to Cheryl and began thinking that Nicole WhatsIt would be better overall:

Apparently Cheryl Cole just doesn’t have the ‘X’ factor. Thought the panel of judges and cohosts for Fox’s X Factor was set once Paula Abdul joined the fray? Think again! In a shocking 11th hour decision that came down Monday, X Factor execs pulled Brit singer Cheryl Cole from the panel and replaced her with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Problem is, Scherzinger was already tapped to cohost with Steve Jones.

“Everyone is freaking out and it’s all a bit of a mess,” a source close to Girls Aloud singer Cole, 27, told Us Weekly Wednesday after news of the switch surfaced.

Though Internet reports claim Cole’s thick British accent was a possible reason for the switch, a source tells Us show creator Cowell was more concerned with his 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,” a source close to Scherzinger tells Us of Cowell and Cole, who cojudged The X Factor’s U.K. installment.

Later, says the Scherzinger source, the mogul felt Cole’s appointment was “a mistake.”

“With the pressure building for this show to be a success, Cheryl was a much bigger risk and instinctively, as time went on, Nicole felt more and more like the right choice,” adds the insider. “Nicole was so disappointed before when she wasn’t picked, but now, thankfully, she is in the role she was always meant for. And Simon knows that.”

Indeed, a production insider tells Us Cowell is feeling the heat — and rightfully so. “It’s his name on the line all the way through this — it literally can’t fail,” says the set source.

“The chemistry has to be right; it’s the vital element that holds this whole thing together. The judges’ connection with the audience could make or break the entire project.”

Auditions for the American version of The X Factor began in L.A. March 27 and continue Thursday in Dallas; the show will begin airing in September.

[From Us Weekly]

Earlier today, a source close Cheryl told Us Weekly that “Everyone is gobsmacked. This came out of nowhere. She had already been tested countless times. Simon had nothing to do with it. This is the network’s doing.” Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter is still saying the whole thing is about her accent, so I don’t really know what the deal is. Oh, The Guardian has provided us with a handy Cheryl-to-American guide too, so this accent excuse isn’t going to die down any time soon.

The Mail says that Cheryl is “in hiding” she’s so embarrassed. They say Cheryl was told on Tuesday, and she immediately flew back to England and is holed up somewhere. As for the issue of whether Cheryl will continue to appear on The X Factor UK, the Mail’s sources say she’s “planning to severe all ties” with the show and that she’s “royally pissed off. It hasn’t worked out. She’s homesick and wants to return to the UK. She’s had enough. Whether she ends up back on UK X Factor is open to speculation.” Poor Cheryl.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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57 Responses to “Cheryl Cole is “in hiding” after her ‘X Factor’ firing: is Simon Cowell to blame?”

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  1. GQ says:

    I feel like it is just a PR-trick to make US people care about her and this show

  2. brin says:

    Let’s get to the bottom of Colegate!

  3. WhiteNoise says:

    Haha that Guardian link is hilarious. 😆

    I feel a bit bad for her but she’s got zero musical ability/knowledge so really should never have even been in the frame for this gig in the first place. Simon Cowell has a lot to answer for.

  4. shirls says:

    as long as Simon is there everyone plays second fiddle

  5. jamjam says:

    I don’t like her – no talent and annoying – but this is pretty cruel. I know some people were trying to spin it that she just felt homesick and decided not to be on the show, but bitch is desperate to happen in America. A little homesickness wouldn’t stop her.

    I’d imagine it came down to test audiences being all “who?” whenever the name Cheryl Cole was mentioned.

  6. Ruby Red Lips says:

    It is humiliating…but for a no-talent pretty girl, Cheryl had become completely over confident about herself, thinking she was on par with Simon Cowell and worthy of world wide adoration and fame

    There is no way she can come back to the X-factor UK now, and I would argue that the tag ‘nation’s sweetheart’ is not really true anymore, tho maybe this USA dismissal will work in her favour

    Saying all that, this is a huge humiliation & agree that the PR machines will be out in full force to garner sympathy for her…

  7. the original bellaluna says:

    I cannot remember where I read it (insomnia & I read TONS online – no TV), but the article said Simon was “involved” with Cheryl at one point in time.

    Now I don’t know if the article meant “involved” like Arnold & Tiger or just involved with her. But it did say he was responsible for promoting her AND her musical career.

    Can anybody confirm this?

    (And if he was involved with her/her career and he did this to her, shame on him.)

  8. e says:

    Paula looks really good in these photos.

  9. KJ says:

    To be fair, she IS overrated trash. A lot of people like her in the UK, but the whole beating up someone in a club while shouting racial slurs thing left a bad taste in my mouth. So, tough shit Cheryl. It was in poor taste for them to bring her all the way over here only to send her back, though. Like Lainey said, with Simon Cowell, everyone plays a bad hand at some point.

    It’ll be interesting to see what the official line about her firing is.

  10. CG says:

    @e Actually I was wondering what Paula’s done to her face! It def looks different, in a “she’s done something besides just lose a little weight” way.

  11. MeMyself says:

    I don’t know if it’s the lighting or what, but Cheryl looks really fug in the top photos. That makeup!
    Good grief, does she really think that looks attractive? Fug!

  12. Anya says:

    Poor Cheryl? This no talent moron was extremely lucky to have ever been on UK x factor let alone US. All she is capable of doing is wearing tacky dresses and crying on demand

  13. HotPockets says:

    I don’t really buy that it was just her accent; I think it had everything to do with the fact that most people in the states don’t know who she is. Her accent is thick, but you can still tell what she is saying and if that were the case, you would think they would just hire a speech and accent coach to develop her voice (if they cared that much about her in the first place).

  14. Tuatara says:

    I am with you @KJ. She’s a racist thug.

  15. Joe's Mom says:

    When I saw this story and it said that “Cheryl” was out and “Nicole” was in, I thought “Scherzinger?”. “Dancing with the Stars” really propelled Nicole into at least the “most people know who she is” category, if not more, and she’s very likeable. I do feel bad for Cheryl, but she is not well-known in the US. If the show “can’t fail”, I think Simon made the right decision. Unfortunately, it was embarrasingly/cruelly late in the game for poor Cheryl. One odd coincidence, which has nothing to do with any of this, but Derek Hough, from DWTS, knows both of these women very well. Must be hard for him to take a position at all. Yikes.

  16. suki says:

    @cg i agree. I it looks like she did something funky around her eyes.

  17. Blue says:

    i love her dimples, so cute. this is totally embarassing for her though. I’m sure she’ll bounce back

  18. DeE says:

    oh, I didn’t know that. I was going to type that she really is pretty, but pretty on the inside is more important…..oh, no it isn’t (sarcastic reality of the world). Maybe it was just a fit of anger or something that she now regrests; i don’t know. Oh well.

  19. DGO says:

    @ the original bellaluna: It’s been rumoured that they’ve been an item for 3 years.

  20. Lia says:

    The airwaves are saturated with these silly competition shows. Nobody wants to see another one, and for sure nobody wants to see Paula Abdul again, unless it’s to laugh at her ridiculousness. Cowell made a mistake with this show. They are a dime a dozen now…… Who gives a flip?

  21. Maritza says:

    She must have a very thick English accent since that is the excuse they are giving as to why they fired her. I bet Paul Abdul told Simon she wanted to be the center of attention not someone much younger than her. I like Nicole better.

  22. Rhiley says:

    Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-doo,
    I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you.
    Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-dee,
    If you are wise you’ll listen to me.

  23. bluhare says:

    @original bellaluna: The rumour mill has it that Cowell and Cheryl were a down low item and that he’d promised her the USA x factor gig. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but anyway you look at it she just got royally screwed and I feel bad for her.

  24. OXA says:

    I think the test audience were saying they could not understand what the drag queen was sayinhg or why she was there.

  25. Thor says:

    She got fired because americans couldn’t understand f*@#$ing ENGLISH? Come on! I’m not a native speaker and I understand every single thing she says. What the hell is wrong with you ppl? That little effort is still too much?

  26. nag says:

    cheryl cole tried to hard…. ?did simon see this anyway and let it happen?

  27. Incredulous says:

    I wonder how long it will take for that indiscreet interview answer Cheryl gave early in her career to pop up again?

    Hint: The answer involved 50 Cent.

  28. Eve says:

    @ Original Bellaluna:

    Now I don’t know if the article meant “involved” like Arnold & Tiger or just involved with her.

    Oh Em Gee! Schwarzie nailed Tiger too!!! The man is so fertile Tiger is pregnant with his baby!

    Sorry, I couldn’t help it…

    Now seriously, this must be really embarrassing and humiliating for her — regardless of her lack of talent, that was just plain mean.

  29. tanguerita says:

    serves her right. She is one talentless bitch, and a bigot.

  30. ad says:

    It’s crappy of them to jerk her around like this, but really, why was she promised the job in the first place?Shows like this are a dime a dozen now, and having a judge that hardly any Americans recognize or care about is just a bad idea, from a business standpoint. Especially when we have plenty of our own C-list celebs to trot out. Yeah, it’s not fair, since she was a judge on the UK version, but studio execs only care about ratings. They should’ve just been upfront with her from the beginning.

    And Thor: what the hell is wrong with YOU, that you apparently believe that weak excuse? She’s not famous here. She’s not a ratings draw. I HIGHLY doubt that her accent had anything to do with it.

  31. danielle says:

    Yeah, between the beating, the racial slurs, not too sorry for her. However, I’ve always wondered why a girl that pretty wears transvestite style makeup?

  32. Eve says:

    @ Tanguerita and Danielle:

    I heard about the racist thing (and that her marriage to Ashley Cole was a way to deny that), but as I’m not very into British pop shows — and the fact the paid channels I watch regularly are usually American — what I know for sure about her is the fact she was one of the “most prominent” members of those infamous WAGs during the World Cup 2006 in Germany.

  33. ladybert62 says:

    Is that Paula Abdul (Spelling?) – what has she done to herself – I hardly recognized her!

  34. 4Real says:

    THAT lil thing is a “racist thug”?? LOL! I need a video or something!

    Bye Cheryl we hardly knew ye!

  35. mzjask says:

    i think cheryl is pretty. i never heard one of her songs but i personally dont really care for nicole. something about her just urks me, i feel like she’s very over rated so idk about this choice. either way, im not watching the show.

  36. Louise says:

    I’ve heard Cheryl speak a couple of times and her accent isn’t bad. You can understand everything she says. To me it sounds more Scottish than British. I really don’t know why they hired Cheryl in the first place. It’s one thing to hire no names for a brand new show like American Idol but X Factor has name value because of Simon. Expectations are so much higher.

  37. Camille says:

    Sucks to be her, very embarrassing.

    Well whatever the reason for her being fired, to me it doesn’t reflect well on the show. They shouldn’t be messing around with the cast at this stage, it should all have been sorted out well before the production started shooting/promoting etc so that gives me the idea that this show won’t do well and is already in trouble.
    And in an already flooded reality singing competition market does the public *really* need another one of these shows??

  38. HotLatino says:

    I knew she would be fired because of her accent, if Brits want to make it big in America, they have to drop the accent. I never understand a word of what Cheryl says hahaha, LOL, at least she’s pretty.

  39. eternalcanadian says:

    Simon Cowell is like the oozing pimple that never goes away! He is utterly rude, boorish, and has no consideration for anyone but himself. Even if Cheryl wasn’t the right fit, he didn’t need to treat her that way so publicly.

    Hope Cheryl can move on from this a way better person while Simon continues to troll the pond scum…

  40. Shy says:

    There is a video of her talking when she arrived at the auditions in L.A. http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/video/2011/may/26/cheryl-cole-us-x-factor-video

    I kind of never heard her talking before. Yeah – that is a big problem. She just sounds very dumb when she is talking. Like she is some 15 years old. The producers probably never wanted her but Simon pushed and pushed and they agreed. But when they started it probably was unbearable and they showed her the door. And you have to ask her what was she thinking? If she wanted to break in America so mush then the first thing she should have done was to try to speak more normal. British actors can easily speak in american accent. Just look at Hugh Laurie in House.

    But that idiot was dumb enough and not even tried. And there she is. I don’t feel sorry for her. It’s like she wanted to cheat. To become popular in USA not with years of hard work but just in few weeks because of appearing in soon-to-be-poplar show.

  41. Cinderella says:

    Who did Nicole screw to make this happen?

  42. Shy says:

    There is something about her that makes you don’t like her. She just looks too fake. Specially when you hear her talk. She tries too hard to look sweat and nice. Almost like Lindsay Lohan does in her interviews.

  43. HotLatino says:

    I found a video where Cheryl REALLY REALLY disses Nicole and now she’s being replaced by her LOL

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rMOtX-hmHtg

  44. Crash2GO2 says:

    @Shay: “British actors can easily speak in american accent. Just look at Hugh Laurie in House.”

    Dear GOD! You are not actually going to compare Cheryl Cole to Hugh Laurie in regards to acting?? Accents are NOT EASY. Hugh Laurie is able to flawlessly deliver in an American accent because he is an amazing actor. Same with Bob Hoskins. Frankly, they are the only two British actors I know who can do so.

    As for Cheryl, I can’t muster up any sympathy. She is a violent bigot. Has anyone seen what she did to that woman’s face??

  45. BabyCakes says:

    Where is Paula’s hand in the first pic??!! SMH

  46. Kat says:

    “British actors can easily speak in american accent.” Wow, congrats, Shy. That’s one of the most ignorant things I’ve heard all week. Just FYI, it is difficult to do an American accent and to do it well. If the person in question isn’t an actress (and Cole definitely isn’t), there is NO REASON why she should be forced to alter her own accent because some pig ignorant people can’t be bothered to listen to an accent other than general American. I swear to God, people hear an accent other than their own and immediately close their ears. It’s pathetic.

  47. Julie says:

    She thought too much of herself and then again, maybe Simon caught her cheating on him lol! I am so praying that she is really off the show.

  48. Bopa says:

    I don’t think nicole is a good choice either. Listening to her talk in interviews she comes across as a total airhead who shouldn’t host or judge on the show. She’s 32 but seems like she’s 15 when she talks.

  49. Shy says:

    You know she had a hit song Parachute.
    I was all over the radio where I live. I was listening to it every day.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AWoZmAxKxg

    And in song she sounds very gracious. Like a lady. I always thought that this is the way she talks. And then I heard her talk for the first time and was very shocked that she sounds like some 15 years old teen twat from trailer park. I always wondered how is that when british singers sing – their accent miraculously disappear.

    As a human being I feel sorry for her. That was very harsh. And it will affect her whole UK career now.

    But as for celebrity I don’t feel for her. She was asking for it. Producers didn’t wanted her. But she probably begged Simon and he made it happen. And after so many years in showbiz, even for UK she still didn’t do anything with that accent. She doesn’t even need to speak american. But she could learn to speak normal british english.

    That is very big and expensive show. Imagine how serious problem with her was that they had to fire her like that.

  50. GraciexDoes says:

    Anyone’s accent should really not be an issue. There are hundreds of them across America. I don’t believe her accent truly was.

    People American’s don’t readily recognize judging these reality shows is not an excuse either. Lil Mama on “ABDC?” Anyone on “So You Think You Can Dance” including the cute host chick with the “British” accent? Kara DiGuardia, Randy Jackson, or Simon Cowell before AI? They are not people I have ever heard of before those shows. Not that I am the be all-end all, but seriously. Enjoy those shows…

    On another note, I am tired of AI. Thought they had a good pool of talent this year for the first time in quite a while. I usually watch the auditions because they are a lark. I actually continued watching this time because there was some talent, I personally thought. I honestly don’t see what Simon could bring to the table that would make another singing contest new and therefore, a success. Bored already…

  51. capepopsie says:

    It amazes me how much hatred people seem to have against random celebs on this page! But then again it IS CELEBITCHY. Give these poor people a break 🙂

  52. Liana says:

    unfortunately, American entertainment standards almost REQUIRE oner to have a boring banal unaccented manner of speaking in order to make it these days. Andie MacDowell had to lose her southern accent, other actors had to tone down their Brooklyn accents, etc. I have no trouble understanding Cheryl Cole and think it’s fine that we all have a different way of speaking.

  53. Sugar says:

    Someone who went trough a horrible cheating breakup and divorce, having her half naked husband sex pictures in all newspapers all over uk, after all that humiliation she still kept his surname????
    One big reason I don’t like Cheryl Cole (aka Tweedy)

  54. Iggles says:

    Shy – Listened to that video. She does kind of sound like a hick…

    Her accent isn’t posh at all. More chav (is that the right term?), which is not as appealing to US ears. Just being honest here!

  55. kristen says:

    I think the whole cast is wrong he dosent` need Nicole or cole whats` her name cheryl cole! Heres` an ideal Paula abdul, Kourtney Kardashtiran , Jessica simpson. Something younger and newer.

  56. Dhavy says:

    I would’ve rather seen Jessica Simpson that’s just my opinion

  57. Jaxx says:

    The reason for her getting canned is in that third picture from the top. Cheryl looks young and fresh and makes Paula look haggard and old. I bet Paula went bullistic when she saw the dailies.

    However, the accent was impossible to understand as well. Poor girl, I was looking forward to getting to know her better. This will follow her forever.