X Factor "Britney Spears"

Cowell claimed that the mother-of-two wouldn't get past the first round of 'X Factor' auditions if she performed like that in front of the judges.

"It would have been worth pulling her off the bill - no matter what the cost - to save any chance she had of resurrecting her career. She wasn't ready for that show in every possible way."

"The song wasn't right, the image wasn't right and she just wasn't rehearsed," he said.

"If she had turned up and given that performance at 'The X Factor' auditions then I wouldn't have put her through to the next round."