Simon Cowell: 'I would re-hire Cheryl Cole in a heartbeat'

Simon Cowell has revealed that he would re-hire Cheryl Cole 'in a heartbeat'.

The 51-year-old X Factor boss has not spoken to his former friend since she was dropped as a judge from the US version of the show earlier this year, but explained that while she was a roaring success in the UK, she seemed to be 'different' in the US.

"I came to the conclusion that she may not be as comfortable here because I was seeing a different person," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "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."

On day two of filming, he said that he pulled her to one side to give her a pep talk. "I said, 'Cheryl, you've got to raise your game a bit. This is America - it's a much tougher market.'"

He said that negotiations had been underway to return her to the UK show for a substantial pay rise, but discussions with her manager will.i.am ultimately broke down.

"We had gotten to the point where she wanted my dressing room," he said, but that was the last he heard.

He admitted, "[I'm] not happy with the way it played out, [but] 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."

But he added that he would hire her again, 'in a heartbeat'.

"You're not drowning puppies here. You're offering someone who's got millions of dollars more money and more work. And if people think that's cruel, then they can do that to me on a daily basis. I'll take it twice a day," he said.

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