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.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Poor Cheryl Cole. She’s never going to “happen” in America. All of that boob-flashing and hair-teasing and D-list boyfriend-dumping for naught! According to TMZ, Cheryl Cole was dumped (“fired”) from the American version of The X Factor this week. Sources claim that Cheryl is being replaced with… Nicole Scherzinger, that chick from The Pussycat Dolls who looks like a budget Kim Kardashian (to me). Nicole was supposed to be the co-host of the show, but now she’s moved to the judges’ table and she’ll be “mentoring” the contestants too. After TMZ’s initial report of Cheryl’s firing, they had this story about the reasons behind the replacement:

Cheryl Cole was dropped from the judging panel on “X-Factor” largely because producers were concerned her English accent would be too difficult for an American audience to understand … sources close to the production tell TMZ. .

There were other issues too — we’re told Cheryl and fellow judge Paula Abdul had a “lack of chemistry” … and Cheryl was more expendable.

Producers now want Cheryl to return to the UK version of the show — but according to sources, Cheryl’s royally pissed over how this situation was handled … and may sever ties with “X-Factor” entirely.

With Cheryl out, Steve Jones will be the only host on the show — which debuts in September — while Nicole Scherzinger fills the open seat on the judging panel.

Calls to Simon Cowell still haven’t been returned.

[From TMZ]

Why am I laughing? Oh, God. How much does it suck to be told that you’re more expendable than Paula Abdul?!? That’s the lowest of the low blows. As far as Cheryl’s accent goes, I realized that I hadn’t really heard her speak that much, so I tried to find a decent interview where I could really hear the accent:

Aw, her accent isn’t that bad. I mean, it’s really thick and I have no idea if Americans in general would be able to understand her, but I watch a lot of British shows, so I can understand her. America: We only accept Hugh Grant’s posh accent.

Honestly, though, my conspiracy hat is on. I doubt her accent is even one of the top five reasons she got pushed out.

Reason 1: America doesn’t know who Cheryl Cole is, and we don’t really care.
Reason 2: As a nation, we don’t like women who wear THAT much makeup.
Reason 3: Because she’s not as important as Paula Abdul. BURN!!
Reason 4: Because Cheryl is probably a violent racist.
Reason 5: This:

Reason 6: This:

Reason 7: Her accent.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I apologize in advance for all of the photos I’m using in this post, but as I was looking up Cheryl Cole pics, there were just so many that I found hilarious. I will maintain – she’s a pretty girl. But she wears a mountain of makeup, she doesn’t know how to dress, and when she’s trying to be “sexy” she looks absolutely ridiculous. Thus, all of the photos.

Anyway, as we were discussing earlier this week, Cheryl is going to try to “happen” in America now that she got a gig on the American version of The X Factor. She’ll be working with Simon Cowell again. And Paula Abdul will be around, acting crazy. Cheryl is already going to be designated “the pretty one” (as opposed to Paula’s “the crazy one”). But Cheryl still needs a little something “extra” to “happen” here. What’s the best way to get attention? Date somebody who already has a built-in fan-base! This theory was already popularized by Lainey, by the way, who suggested that all Cheryl really needed was a decent celebrity boyfriend to “happen”. Unfortunately, Cheryl already has a boyfriend, Dancing With the Stars dancer boy Derek Hough. Unfortunately, Cheryl might have already dumped poor Derek in a quest for MORE FAME, PLS.

DWTS pro Derek Hough will have to find a new partner. His girlfreind Cheryl Cole has dumped him to focus on her sizzling career – and to maybe trade up to a more famous beau, an insider tells Star.

Soon after the Brit babe, 27, landed a flashy gig as a judge on the US version of The X Factor, “Cheryl told Derek it was over,” says the insider. “Breaking up with him was particularly cruel because he stood by her through her divorce last year and her nasty bout of malaria.”

So Derek is hurt and betrayed.

“He can’t help feeling that she used him to get publicity in Hollywood,” says the insider. But Cheryl is already moving on.

“She’s incredibly ambitious – and gorgeous,” the insider says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she winds up with an A-lister, and soon!”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Hahaha, “He can’t help feeling that she used him to get publicity in Hollywood.” Yes, because simply EVERYBODY knew the random blonde boy that made everyone mutter, “Dude, I think that young man dancing the cha-cha… I think he loves dong.” HE’S SO FAMOUS! As for Cheryl ending up with an A-lister… oh, boy. Jake Gyllenhaal? Bradley Cooper? What? She has a type!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are some photos of British celebrity Cheryl Cole at the Cannes Film Festival a few days ago. The odd, plunging dress is by Stephane Rolland. I would like to see the dress without the brass testicles (?) on the waist, and I would like to see Cheryl styled with a more natural, less caked-on makeup look, and maybe something different with her hair. Something other than a friggin’ ponytail.

In the past, I’ve covered some random Cheryl Cole stories (like her split from her husband Ashley, and one of her magazine interviews), but I still don’t really feel like I know her. I get that she’s sort of the aspirational “chav” girl for British women, and I do think Cheryl is a pretty girl (once you get past the prostitute-ish makeup). But is she going to “happen” in America?

As you probably heard, Cheryl got the gig on Simon Cowell’s American version of X-Factor. Cheryl was/is a judge on the British version too, and I think she and Simon are supposed to be very, very close. Simon is actually putting his two favorite ladies together on the project: Cheryl and Paula Abdul. Oh, and L.A. Reid is in the mix too. So… I think comparatively speaking, yes, Cheryl is going to come across as sane, nice and lovely compared to Paula’s raging lunacy and Reid and Simon’s curt, bitchy demeanors.

But will America embrace her? Eh. I hate to say it, but I kind of think they might. Being “the nice girl” on a show filled with bitches who are either A)insane or B)hyper-critical.

Oh, regarding her rack… it’s real, right? I suspect they’re real, but something about them seems kind of fakey. Like, the way they’re attached to her chest…? I can’t explain it. The spacing? Eh. And before you start yelling at me, just stop. She wore this dress on purpose. Because if we’re talking about her rack, we’re talking about HER. And she needs to be introduced to the American public. She thinks the best way to force the introduction is via her boobs. So go ahead and talk about them. That’s what she wants.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

We generally don’t cover British “celebrity” Cheryl Cole, but I found this story interesting. Granted, I’m an American and I only really know Cheryl from the handful of comments our few Cheryl stories have gotten. So… she was in a girl group, and then she became a popular judge on one of the British singing shows, and then she married a footballer, and she also has a past strewn with violence and bigotry, right? Does that about sum it up? Oh, and lots of British dudes are totally hot for her and lots of British ladies want to look like her.

Anyway, Cheryl is in America now – she moved to LA after her marriage to serial cheater and thunder-stealer Ashley Cole fell apart. Cheryl dumped Ashley after several women came out publicly to say that they boned him. Cheryl has got a certain good-girl image in the UK is seems, and she’s hoping that the image carries over to America, I guess. She was maybe “dating” Derek Hough, although Perez claims they aren’t now because Cheryl is with some Black Eyed Peas back-up dancer. Basically, Cheryl has been keeping a pretty low profile, but that may soon change. According to a random report in a British tabloid – that everyone is picking up now – Cheryl has been offered six figure to pose for Playboy. The initial report has the offer at 500,000 pounds, or roughly $770,000, but some sources have upped the price to a cool million. The problem? Little Miss Wholesome doesn’t want to ruin her good-girl image! Um…she realizes that barely no one in America knows who she is, right?

The famous men’s magazine wants the stunning X Factor babe for a centrefold shoot. Bosses at 84-year-old media mogul Hugh Hefner’s publication think Cheryl, 27, has the perfect looks to be a hit in the States.

They reckon her quirky accent and toned bod make her perfect to follow other famous centrefolds such as US reality star Kim Kardashian, 29. Bosses are said to have promised the Geordie babe half a million pounds to pose wearing nothing but her famous northern smile. They are on a mission to find gorgeous Brits after Kelly Brook, 30, proved hugely popular.

The Daily Star discovery was snapped in a lacy thong, bow-tie and black bowler hat for the magazine’s September edition. But down-to-earth Girls Aloud star Cheryl looks set to turn down the offer of appearing in the buff, insisting it is not for her.

A pal said: “Cheryl is incredibly flattered by the offer but she’s always been fundamentally opposed to going nude in magazines. She reckons it’s great if other girls can do it, but it really isn’t her. People won’t believe it but she is actually incredibly shy when it comes to all that stuff.”

Cheryl has also been warned not to pile her workload high as she recovers from malaria.

The insider added: “Cheryl has a fortune of £10million. It’s not like she needs the money.”

[From The Daily Star]

Kelly Brook had a magnificent rack going for her – but I could see Cheryl being a popular choice with American men. She is very pretty. But American men won’t get the chance to see her bits and pieces, it seems like. Personally, I think it’s a dumb move to walk away from the offer. It would be a solid introduction for her in America, and she would probably get a lot of work out of it. What the hell, you know? Especially in this economy – that’s a lot of money for someone most Americans don’t give a crap about.

One last thing – is that a gigantic tattoo on her thigh?

Cheryl in Hollywood on August 5, 2010 and in Ireland in June. Credit: WENN.

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t really care about British singer/personality Cheryl Cole. I tend to view her as Britain’s Paula Abdul, but apparently she is quite popular and beloved, and she’s riding a wave of sympathy ever since she left her husband Ashley Cole. Even though I don’t care, I did have two Cheryl stories I wanted to share – first of all, these are photos from Cheryl’s appearance on the June issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK. Pretty! I really do like them. Also, Cheryl just sat down for an interview in Hello Magazine where she claims that she keeps in shape because she adheres to the “Eat Right 4 Your Type” diet. Meaning you should diet according to your blood type. Here’s more:

Since her split from husband Ashley, Cheryl Cole’s slender figure has led to much debate. But it seems her tiny frame isn’t simply down to a broken heart. The 26-year-old has revealed she sticks to Eat Right 4 Your Type diet, in which she eats and avoids specific foods based entirely on her blood type.

In an interview with Hello! today she admitted to watching what she eats.

‘I watch what I eat, not to stay slim but to feel good,’ she said. ‘Recently my mother told me about Eat Right 4 Your Type, in which you’re told what to eat and what to avoid depending on your blood type. It has made such a difference – not so much to my shape, but to how I feel and my energy levels. Before I was like ‘energy schmenergy’ and didn’t believe it. But now I believe it 100 per cent.’

Stars including Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, Martine McCutcheon and Sir Cliff Richard have previously admitted to following the plan. And while her fans may be hitting the gym to try and emulate Cheryl’s figure, it seems she doesn’t have to.

‘I have a really hectic schedule but it does have some health benefits – I get to work out without working out,’ she said. ‘It’s literally full-on performances back to back, and all the choreography, training and rehearsals that go into them, that’s a real workout.’

And Cheryl, currently taking a break from her band Girls Aloud, says she doesn’t deny herself her favourite treats – especially cupcakes.

‘My only trouble is that I can’t do without sugar,’ she said. ‘I think I might have some sort of sugar imbalance. Sometimes I feel like I just need a chocolate bar. To be honest you can’t put yourself under that much pressure, so I don’t deny myself anything.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Can I make fun of her for this? I really don’t know what to think. My first reaction was “how stupid” but I’m sure there are people out there who swear by the blood type diet, and maybe there’s even some anecdotal evidence to back it up? But of all the crazy diets that we hear about, I still think the blood type diet seems ridiculous. Also, wasn’t this something that was popular back in the 1970s? Weird.

Harper’s Bazaar UK cover and photos courtesy of The Fashion Spot.

Just a few months ago, I had no idea who Cheryl Cole was, but apparently, she’s a really big deal in England. She’s one of the judges on The X-Factor, but don’t be fooled into thinking she’s “Britain’s Paula Abdul”. She’s not. She’s like Paula, Kelly Ripa and Jennifer Aniston rolled into one dimpled brunette. She’s pretty but accessible, judgy but not too judgy, sexy but still a girl’s girl. Anyway, I still didn’t really know that much about her, but I’ve been vaguely following the scandal surrounding her for the past few months. Following her husband, more precisely. She’s married to British soccer player Ashley Cole, and there’s been a series of revelations about Ashley that make him sound like the English Tiger Woods. As in, he’s been screwing around. A lot. With lots of women. So Cheryl just announced today that she and Ashley are splitting. Good for her:

Cheryl Cole has announced that she is to separate from her cheating husband Ashley Cole. The X Factor star, who has been left devastated by the Chelsea football star’s string of betrayals, has called time on her three-and-a-half-year marriage.

The 26-year-old this afternoon released a statement which read: ‘Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl asks the media to respect her privacy during this difficult time. We have no further comment to make.’

The Daily Mail first broke the news of their impending split last week.

Mrs Cole had spent the past week in Los Angeles and flew into Heathrow Airport this morning. The star wore large black sunglasses and a trilby hat as she was ushered through the airport by two police officers. Tellingly, she was not wearing her wedding ring.

The singer’s silver Mercedes arrived home at 12.18pm, while just hours before, crocked Chelsea and England player Ashley left the mansion in a black Mercedes, with his crutches clearly on display – while he was believed to be hiding in the back seat.

Another source revealed: ‘Cheryl now just wants to move on. She’s had enough.’

Before returning to the UK, Mrs Cole viewed a number of properties in Los Angeles.
These included a stunning Spanish-style five-bedroomed, six-bathroomed villa in the Hollywood Hills, which is on the market at £2.1 million. It has its own 800-bottle temperature-controlled wine cellar, outdoor barbecue and kitchen plus a stunning swimming pool and lies above the legendary Hollywood Bowl concert venue.

The star also visited a house in Beverly Hills but rejected that because she, ironically, believed it was too much like a ‘footballer’s wives’ home.’

Meanwhile, her close friend and confidante Derek Hough has told a friend he is eager for Mrs Cole to move to the US as he revealed she is ‘wonderful.’

Mr Hough, 24, was first introduced to Mrs Cole last October. He then appeared on her one-off TV special at Christmas and also appears in the video for her forthcoming single Parachute, which is released next month.

He told the friend: ‘Cheryl is wonderful, simply wonderful. It’s terrible what she’s been going through. I hope she moves out here. That would be great.’

He also revealed that Mrs Cole would be coming back to support him during the new series of Dancing With The Stars, in which he is one of the main dancers.

He continued to the friend: ‘She’s certainly making time to come back and support me in the series.’

During their seven-and-a-half hours together at the London hotel in West Hollywood on Sunday night the pair also took pictures of Mrs Cole and Mr Hough’s dog on his mobile telephone.

Just weeks ago, the singer was planning to start a family with Cole and quit the X Factor.

However, now Mrs Cole is even considering moving to the U.S. following the breakdown of her marriage, which will work well with an offer from Simon Cowell to be a judge on his planned American X Factor next year, the Daily Mail has learned.

PR guru Max Clifford tonight told Skyy News that Cheryl’s decision to split with Cole would have been a ‘career and business decision’ as well as a personal one.

Clifford, who is representing two of the women alleged to have had an affair with the footballer, told Sky News: ‘When you are a star everything you do, private and public, has an affect on your career. Cheryl is only doing this for one reason, because of what’s gone on. But when you’ve got two big stars then everything is played out in the public and obviously the public will have their very strong feelings and I’m sure that would have also played a part in her decision.’

He added, career wise, Chelsea and England fans will still ‘love Ashley Cole’ so long as he manages to perform well on the pitch once he recovers from his ankle injury and gets back on the pitch.

Clifford also said he has heard other rumours in recent weeks about other Premiership footballers having affairs, with the John Terry scandal promoting more and more women to come out of the woodwork. He predicted more revelations in the weeks to come. Ashley was first exposed for cheating on his wife in 2008 with hairdresser Aimee Walton.
Earlier this month, it was revealed explicit pictures of him were sent from his phone to Page Three girl Sonia Wild. And last week, Mrs Cole was left devastated when allegations emerged claiming he had slept with Vicki Gough, a 30-year-old secretary at Liverpool FC.

One of Cole’s alleged one-night stands – the fourth to come forward – then claimed he had sobbed down the phone to her that he would die if he lost his wife over their fling. He is said to have pleaded with U.S. political aide Ann Corbitt to keep quiet about twice having unprotected sex with her in a Seattle hotel last July when Chelsea was on a pre-season tour. A fifth alleged flame, Alexandra Taylor, also came forward to say she had sex with Cole on the night he ‘went public’ with Cheryl in 2004.

Meanwhile, it has also emerged Cole faces a battle for his future at Chelsea Football Club in the light of the scandal. He faces a suspension or ‘meaningful’ fine from Chelsea after claims he hoodwinked the club into covering up his philandering. Cole is due to be brought before Chelsea’s board as early as Friday to explain himself. The club decided to act because the defender’s alleged affair occurred while he was ‘on duty’ during a tour.

[From The Daily Mail]

The Mail also has photos of all of Ashley’s mistresses, and they’re pretty much what you would expect. A lot of them could pass for Tiger’s girls. CB and I both thought that this Derek Hough guy was gay, but maybe he’s not. If he’s straight, I still think Cheryl could do much better. I seem to remember reading that Ed Westwick had a crush on her. He’s good and smarmy, and that seems to be her type!

File photos of Ashley and Cheryl Cole over the years, courtesy of WENN.