Music mogul Simon Cowell reveals he believed Cheryl Cole would go back to the British X Factor after she lost her US role as judge.

Simon said: ‘I thought Cheryl returning to the UK would have been a big headline. It would have been good for the show over there, good for her.’

‘After two cities, I offered her the job back in the UK, which ­initially she accepted.

‘And then unfortunately when it went public the negotiations fell apart.

As Cheryl will not be joining Britain’s X Factor, the new judges are Tulisa Contostavlos, Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland and original judge Louis Walsh.

‘She was offered a chance to come back to America but, for certain reasons, ­decided not to. And that’s why it ended up the way it is.’ said Simon.

Simon denies his and Cheryl’s relationship has been affected since the upset and humiliation the Geordie lass endured. He also rejected the fact that her clash with Paula Abdul was the reason for her being axed from the show.

‘Look, if it was a question of not getting on with Paula, then I wouldn’t be on the show. So that had nothing to do with it,’ he tells the Sunday Mirror.

‘[Cheryl] is still grumpy with me. But I can look myself in the mirror and say I wasn’t ­being mean.

‘I offered her a lot of money to go back as a hero, and it didn’t work out. I think when you have the history we have, you’ll eventually work it out.’

It is uncertain what Cheryl’s next move will be in her career. With recently splitting with husband Ashley Cole for the third time, and rejecting the UK X Factor, all is looking quite bleak for the star.