Simon Cowell’s surprise proposal after Cheryl’s ‘tough year’

They infamously fell out in 2011

simon cowell cheryl

by Daisy McLure |
Updated on

While he continues to recover from a broken back, following his shocking bike accident in August, insiders say Simon Cowell has invited Cheryl and her three-year-old son, Bear, to join him, his long-term partner Lauren Silverman and their six-year-old son, Eric, to his home to further discuss his plans to “help turn her into the nation’s sweetheart again.”

Insiders recently told Closer how the music mogul, 61 – who once described sacking his former protégé from the US X Factor in 2011 as “the worst mistake” of his life – has offered to help resurrect her career.

simon cowell cheryl cole
Cheryl and Simon together in 2011 ©Getty Images

And now pals say the talent show boss is keen to discuss a new project he has ear-marked for the former Girls Aloud singer. A source says, “Simon knows what a tough year it’s been for Cheryl, what with being a single mum during a global pandemic.

“Now that lockdown restrictions are being eased, Simon thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss a new dance show he’d potentially like her to work on, to find the next star choreographer.”

Check out: Cheryl's showbiz rows - from Simon Cowell to Charlotte Church

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CLOSER Cheryl's feuds - slider

Sarah Harding1 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Sarah Harding

There's been reports for years that there's a secret feud between Cheryl and former Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding. It probably doesn't help that neither of them have publicly supported each other. During Cheryl's stint on The X Factor, Sarah apparently said: "X Factor. What X Factor? Who knows if I'll tune in."When Sarah took part in Celebrity Big Brother, Cheryl didn't publicly wish her luck and it quickly became clear why when the CBB star admitted she hadn't spoken to Chezza in three years. A few weeks later she made a sly 'dig' over how private Chezza was during her pregnancy with Bear.

Lily Allen2 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Lily Allen

Cheryl and Lily's tension began back in 2006 when Lily wrote a song named Cheryl Tweedy (that went alongside her song Smile and Absolutely Nothing). In the song that discussed women attempting to reach unattainable beauty standards, Lily sings: "I wish I looked just like Cheryl Tweedy". Chez took it as a compliment and gushed: "I'm really flattered Lily's written a track about me. But I don't know why she sings about wanting to be as pretty as me as she looks stunning."Unfortunately things got awkward when Lily hit back and said she doesn't want to look like Cheryl: "It's tongue in cheek, it's meant to be ironic."I don't have anything against her as a human being but I think the portrayal of her being the right thing for kids to look up to is wrong." She even added that "nobody really wants to look like Cheryl, they just think they do."Then during a chat with Gordon Ramsay, Cheryl bit back and said: "Because everyone wants to look like her".Lily then wrote an open letter and said: "At least I write and sing my own songs without the aid of Auto-Tune."I must say, taking your clothes off, doing sexy dancing and marrying a rich footballer must be very gratifying, your mother must be so proud."In 2014 Lily had a dramatic U-turn and confessedshe regretted their feud and her olive branch appeared to work out because in 2015 they were pictured together.

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CREDIT: Getty Images

Louis Walsh

Despite appearing on The X Factor together in 2008 – 2010 and again in 2014, Cheryl and Louis Walsh weren't the best of friends. It all began when Louis was Girls Aloud's manager and reportedly called them "fat". Years later Louis threw shade at Chez by saying working alongside her on The X Factor "was never great". He then slammed her career, adding: "She won a competition, married a footballer and now she's in a hair advert. "Nadine Coyle was the voice of Girls Aloud. Cheryl made herself the face and best of luck to her."It was then reported that Chez felt "humiliated and hurt" by Louis' words. Bless her. Not long after, Louis gushed that Nicole Scherzinger was the "best female [X Factor judge] – by a mile". Things took an awkward turn in 2016 when Liam Payne publicly defended his then pregnant-girlfriend. After Louis made it clear there's no need for Cheryl to return to The X Factor, the former One Direction star slammed him and said: "Shut the f—k up for once".

Cher Lloyd4 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Cher Lloyd

Cher Lloyd and Cheryl seemed like the perfect duo in 2010 during their time on The X Factor but things took a turn for the worse when the show ended.In 2012 Cher threw shade at Cheryl and hinted that she "doesn't sing live". Cheryl then tweeted: "Be Careful who you kick on your way up... They kick you twice as hard on your way back down… #UnappreciationIsUgly".Before admitting Cher's words were "like a slap in the face", she told GQ magazine: "She's new. She needs to learn a lot. I went through hell to get her on that programme. "Everyone says stuff at the beginning of their career that they will learn to regret. Maybe I didn't teach her as well as I thought I had."Cher then hinted that they'd put the past behind them after she congratulated her former mentor on her second marriage to Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini. In 2016 the X Factor star confessed that they'd "made up ages ago" and even said she "never would have guessed" Cheryl dating and having a child with Liam Payne.

Simon Cowell5 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Simon Cowell

One of Cheryl's biggest celebrity rows was definitely with Simon Cowell. They appeared to have a great friendship during their time on The X Factor but it all changed when they took the talent show to America. Chez was apparently sacked because of her accent; according to reports the American audience couldn't understand her so she was replaced by Nicole Scherzinger. Cheryl then hit out at the music mogul in her book autobiography saying: "F--k you. F--k Britain's Got Talent. F--k the orange and purple outfit. F--k big hair. F--k the UK X Factor. "F--k you all. I hate you. I understand you're a businessman, and what I've learned from this is that business means more to you than friendship."Fast forward three years and they kissed and made it and Cheryl even returned to ITV show despite saying "F—k the UK X Factor".However there was another hiccup in their friendship when Simon claimed the Geordie had "put on a bit of weight" during her X Factor US stint. She hit back at him and told him to stop bringing up the past. He has also said he "didn't recognise her" when The X Factor flew stateside and claimed "she'd lost her confidence".The pair are apparently on good terms now; Simon reportedly "comforted" her during her second divorce and he set her and Liam Payne up.

Nadine Coyle6 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Nadine Coyle

Cheryl and Nadine Coyle found fame together in Girls Aloud and even after the girl band split it appeared that they were still friends withChez congratulating her bandmate on her pregnancy.However a year later it appeared that Nadine made a dig at Cheryl shortly after her wedding to Jean-Bernard by telling her to "join the baby club". Then in 2018 during an appearance on Celebrity Juice, Nadine revealed she was never friends with Chez despite being a bridesmaid at her wedding to Ashley Cole."There was no falling out, there was just no friendship to begin with," she said.

Alan Sugar7 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Alan Sugar

Cheryl has appeared on a celebrity version of the Apprentice and attended Alan Sugar's 60th birthday but that didn't stop him from skinny shaming her.In 2015, shortly before the end of her second marriage, Alan tweeted: "Catching up on X-Factor. Cheryl is now too thin".The then-X Factor judge hit back and said: "I've got nothing to say to stupidity. How do you answer stupidity? With intelligence? If I cared I would be bothered."

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CREDIT: Getty Images

Charlotte Church

One of Cheryl's first feuds began way back in 2005 when she accused Charlotte Church off copying the sound of one of Girls Aloud's songs.Charlotte bit back and said: "Girls Aloud wouldn't be able to sing Crazy Chick if they possibly tried. They just don't have the range, darling. "And when they've sold as many records as me, then they can comment … Maybe Cheryl is bitter."Their rows continued with Charlotte branding the girl band as "five dogs without balls" and claiming Chez has "no backbone" for taking [Ashley Cole back following cheating allegations.](https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/celebrities-who-cheating/ allegations)However Cheryl isn't one to take things lightly and she called Charlotte "a nasty little piece of work with a fat head" before describing Charlotte's then boyfriend Gavin Henson as "scabby" and calling him "a posing idiot who looks like a girl".She also threw shade at Charlotte's Walkers advert, by saying: "The one where she's stuffing her face? I think that's very appropriate!"Fast forward to 2013 and Charlotte said Chez was "really good" on The X Factor. Does this mean they've put the past behind them?

Katie Price9 of 10
CREDIT: Getty Images

Katie Price

Okay so they didn't have a row per se but shortly after Cheryl tied the knot with Jean-Bernard after dating for three months, Katie Price warned her against shotgun weddings.In her Now magazine column, she said: "My warning to Cheryl… I don't think you can ever know what a person's really like after just three months."I'd be a hypocrite to say Cheryl shouldn't have rushed in - I've done it myself a few times. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't."Then when Cheryl returned to The X Factor in 2014, Katie said the judge had "lost her sparkle".However it appears that there's no harsh feeling between the pair because Katie shared a clip on Instagram of her cameo in Girls Aloud's reality show Off The Record.In the clip Chez called the mum-of-five a "f—king cow" because of her figure. She said: "I think she looks fantastic. Her legs are amazing, f--king cow. Not one smidgen of cellulite, believe me, I was looking. "There is no way those boobs have anything to do with the minuteness of that woman. They are just f--king huge. She's making me sick."Katie captioned the clip on social media: "A massive compliment from the beautiful women @cherylofficial." [sic]

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CREDIT: Getty Images

Munroe Bergdorf

One of Cheryl's most recent feuds was with Munroe Bergdorf. In 2017 Munroe was hired as the first transgender model in L'Oreal's diversity campaign however she was fired for comments she made about white supremacism following shocking events in Charlottesville, USA. During an appearance on Victoria Derbyshire's show she pointed out that Cheryl was part of the campaign despite punching a black woman in the face.Chez's management hit back in a statement, saying: "More than 14 years ago Cheryl was unanimously acquitted of a charge of racially aggravated assault."She is disappointed to find her name involved in Munroe Bergdorf's media interview."

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Following their infamous fallout in 2011, Cheryl, 37, had signalled their friendship was firmly back on track after returning to The X Factor judging panel in 2014, and again in 2018 when she made her post-baby comeback as a judge on the The Greatest Dancer, which Simon produces.

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But her once-glittering career has taken a wobble since her return to the limelight – with the former chart-topping star slammed for an “embarrassing” X Factor performance, a disappointing music comeback, the end of her lucrative endorsement deal with L’Oréal, and The Greatest Dancer being scrapped in April due to poor ratings.

The source adds, “Simon knows Cheryl is hugely ambitious and thrives on working hard. That’s why he really wants to give her something that she can get excited over again.”

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