According to reports, Simon, 55, made a dig at 31-year-old Cheryl for her critique of a contestant and suggested she’s overpaid.
The Daily Star reports that former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl told one hopeful: “I think the sound was bad, we’ve been having trouble with the sound.”
Apparently this was not good enough for boss Simon, who retorted: “That’s why you get paid £23 million a year? To say that?”
It wasn’t just Cheryl’s pay check that took a battering: the music mogul seemed to playfully label her a diva.
Addressing a Welsh contestant, Simon allegedly said: “Cheryl can’t be bothered with long journeys anymore.” Ouch.
But Simon was obviously in wind-up mode, as he also took a swipe at new co-presenter of the main show Caroline Flack.
Dad-of-one Simon is said to have advised one 20-year-old contestant to go for dinner with host Olly Murs. But Cheryl was obviously in girl power mode, as she added: “Or Caroline [Flack].”
But Si wasn’t backing down, and continued: “If you’re gonna go out with one of them, it’s Olly. Trust me.”
Simon and Cheryl’s catty relationship hogged most of the limelight during the last series of the ITV talent show – and it looks like nothing has changed!