Simon Cowell will return to work this week following the death of his beloved mother Julie. It has been confirmed that filming for The X Factor will begin in Manchester on Wednesday, with Simon returning alongside the rest of the talent show team.Auditions had been scheduled to begin on Monday, but were cancelled in light of Simon's loss. Tuesday's sessions of try-outs were also postponed. It is thought that there will be extra slots set aside on Thursday to make up for lost time.
Simon Cowell is "heartbroken" by the death of his beloved mother Julie
"Simon needs time to get over the death of Julie, it is a huge loss for him and his family," a source close to the 55-year-old told the Mirror. "But at the same time, he knows how many people are involved in the X Factor and doesn't like to let people down."Julie was a big fan of the show, so it feels right to take some time out and then come back and work on the show later in the week. "A spokesperson for The X Factor said: "We can confirm that The X Factor auditions scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) have been cancelled. We will now start auditions in Manchester on Wednesday and Thursday this week."
A number of stars have sent messages of support to Simon following his mother’s death. "Very sad to hear of the passing of Julie, very nice lady! Condolences are with Simon and his family at this time..." tweeted One Direction star Niall Horan, while new X Factor co-host Olly Murs wrote: "My heart goes out to Simon Cowell and his family. "Simon's former American Idol co-star Paula Adbul also shared her condolences: "I was deeply saddened to hear of your mother's passing. She was such a dear, sweet lady."
X Factor 2013 winner Sam Bailey wrote: "@SimonCowell so sorry to hear your mum has sadly passed away x heaven has gained another angel x," while Matt Cardle added, "So sorry to hear of your loss @SimonCowell my thoughts are with you…. Xx."Stacey Solomon simply tweeted, "Thinking of you @SimonCowell love you lots X," and Stevi Ritchie posted: "Thinking of my old mentor and friend @SimonCowell on this sad time… I love you Simon xx."
Julie passed away on 5 July at the age of 89. In a statement, Simon and his family said they were "heartbroken" by their loss, adding that they would "miss her terribly".A friend of the music mogul told the Sun that he was "absolutely devastated" by Julie's death. "His mum was the most beloved person in his life and they were incredibly close," the insider said.