Simon Cowell says Cheryl Cole rejected X Factor return

Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole (right) isn't part of this year's X Factor

Simon Cowell has revealed that Cheryl Cole turned down the opportunity to rejoin the UK version of The X Factor.

Speaking at auditions for the US version of the show in New Jersey, the music mogul said the singer was offered her old job back.

He said: "It wasn't really such a big deal as everybody thought. We said, 'Do you want to front up the UK show?' and she said no.

"We offered her the show back but I don't believe she wanted to come back."

Stories that Cheryl Cole was to be replaced as a judge first surfaced on an American entertainment news website at the end of last month.

US television network Fox finally confirmed that Cole, 27, had been dropped from X Factor USA on Monday, nearly two weeks after the first reports.

But Simon Cowell told reporters that the contestants were the most important thing to focus on now.

"You're always going to hear different opinions," said Cowell. "The truth is you've got to move on.

"It's about the contestants. They've got no interest in us bickering."

'Incredible feeling'

Cheryl Cole's been replaced with former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger on The X Factor USA.

She was originally signed to co-host the show with Steve Jones and has appeared as a guest judge on the UK version of The X Factor.

The US version of The X Factor starts on the Fox TV network this September

Scherzinger joins Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid on the US judging panel.

Speaking for the first time about Cheryl Cole's departure, 51-year-old Cowell said the show would not be editing episodes already filmed with the former judge.

"Show it," he said. "I mean it's reality TV. There's no point in lying about it. It is what it is.

"But you know we didn't kill anyone. We just said, 'Do you want to be on a different show?' and...no."

Simon Cowell left American Idol in May of 2010 after its ninth season.

He says his break from American TV made him realize how much he missed it.

"It was an incredible feeling yesterday," he said. "I loved it and I really, really love making shows here. The gap's been good for me because I appreciate it more now."

The US version of The X Factor will broadcast on Fox in September.