‘The X Factor’ UK auditions delayed as Simon Cowell’s mother passes away

The new season of “The X Factor” is about to get underway, but it looks like the auditions are going to be on hold for at least a little while. At first, the judging panel was set to arrive in Manchester tomorrow to start things off, but sources say that this has been delayed for the time being due to the death of Simon Cowell’s mother. While we have seen temporary replacement judges appear on the show from time to time, the series most likely did not want to do this for the very first show. Not only that, but this is also a pretty sad occasion, and since Simon is also an executive producer, he needs some time to grieve.

In a statement, Cowell’s family said the following about the sad passing:

“Today our beloved mum Julie passed away. Anyone who had met her would know what a truly special and kind lady she was. We are heartbroken and will miss her terribly, but she is now at peace.”

There is no immediate time known for the beginning of auditions, but the entire panel should be there. In the event that you have missed some recent news, Rita Ora and Radio One host Nick Grimshaw are set to be the latest additions to the panel this year alongside Cowell and returning judge Cheryl Fernandez-Virsini. We do not think that there is going to be any significant delay in the show actually coming on the air; for now, we anticipate that it will be coming back in late August / early September, but time will tell when it comes to that.

We will have some other news when it comes to “The X Factor” in the near future, but for the time being our hearts go out to Simon and his family.