Two weeks before X Factor started taping, Simon Cowell sensed Cheryl Cole's level of comfort to be rather low.

Cowell tells the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter:

I came to the conclusion that she may not be as comfortable here because I was seeing a different person. 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.

During the second day of work, Cowell had to call Cole up and tell her to raise her game. She was being too quiet for American television.

When Cowell was asked if there was any way she could return to the UK version (through her reps), he managed to secure her a $4mil return.

Unfortunately, Cole never responded.

And they haven't spoke since. Yikes!

Simon wishes things could have turned out differently, but insists he has to do his job:

I wouldn’t be doing my job as a producer if I didn’t do what was right for my shows. 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.

This is actually really sad. They've been close for so long. We hope a reconciliation is in the future for them!

[Image via AP Images.]

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Two weeks before X Factor started taping, Simon Cowell sensed Cheryl Cole's level of comfort to be rather low.

Cowell tells the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter:

I came to the conclusion that she may not be as comfortable here because I was seeing a different person. 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.

During the second day of work, Cowell had to call Cole up and tell her to raise her game. She was being too quiet for American television.

When Cowell was asked if there was any way she could return to the UK version (through her reps), he managed to secure her a $4mil return.

Unfortunately, Cole never responded.

And they haven't spoke since. Yikes!

Simon wishes things could have turned out differently, but insists he has to do his job:

I wouldn’t be doing my job as a producer if I didn’t do what was right for my shows. 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.

This is actually really sad. They've been close for so long. We hope a reconciliation is in the future for them!

[Image via AP Images.]

View full post on PerezHilton

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!