Simon Cowell has finally explained why Cheryl Cole was dropped from the American version of The X Factor despite being announced as a judge earlier this year. "After two cities, I offered [Cheryl] the job, which initially she accepted," Cowell told Radar. "And then unfortunately when it went public, the negotiations fell apart, so I thought she would be more comfortable doing the U.K. show than the American show. For certain reasons, [she] decided not to [come back to the U.K.] and that's why it ended up the way it is."

5 Things You Didn't Know About Cheryl Cole

Cole, who is a successful pop star in Britain as a solo act and as a member of the group Girls Aloud, ended up getting ousted from the panel of judged for the U.S. X Factor in favor of Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger,  who was originally tapped as a host for the show. "I am sorry for the way it worked out as we were incredibly close," Cowell says of Cole. "She is still grumpy with me."

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