Simon Cowell: I was stupid to sack Cheryl

Simon Cowell has admitted he was ‘stupid’ for firing Cheryl Cole after grovelling for her to return to end his X Factor ratings hell.

The 54-year-old came clean over Cole’s departure from the US version of the show in 2011 in an exclusive chat with Guilty Pleasures.

‘I made too many stupid decisions and I’ll own up to it, sacking Cheryl was one of them,’ he said. ‘It was a silly decision. Of course I was wrong and I don’t mind admitting when I am wrong.

‘If I could turn the clock back, I would do it differently, if I am honest. But I can’t.

‘I realised I wanted to make the show close to where we left it. It was a fantastic year. And I had to get Cheryl back.’

The X Factor pulled in its highest ever ratings in 2010 with Cowell and Cole on the judging panel – drawing 20million viewers. Now he’s determined the next series of The X Factor will overtake BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

‘We’re back to get this show back to No.1. For me the ratings are important, I’m not going to lie.

‘If we are second to Strictly I am going to be disappointed,’ he admits.

But if Cole’s return doesn’t appeal to everyone, Cowell has another trump card up his sleeve – another surprise woman to spice up the line-up.

‘Louis is considering a sex change,’ he joked, adding the 61-year-old Irishman would make a good stand-in as a female judge. ‘I could see Louis in a wig,’ he said.

[Originally published Metro, Guilty Pleasures, Tuesday 11 March 2014]