X Factor’s Cheryl Cole has admitted that she feels sorry for twins John and Edward Grimes when they are booed on the show.

Last weekend the boys faced such a backlash on The Xtra Factor, that their mentor Louis Walsh shouted at the audience to shut up!

Speaking to the Telegraph’s Becky Pugh, Cheryl said: “I feel bad for them because of the booing. And their family is in the audience somewhere. It must be hard. I couldn’t sit there while my brother was being booed. You see their little faces crumple at the end of the show. I think if I was sitting at home I’d pick up the phone and vote for them.”

Cheryl also admitted that she thinks Simon Cowell has become much more competitive with her on this years series. She said: “I think what’s happened is that, because I won last year with Alexandra [Burke], he feels like he’s got to be really competitive this year. He knows he’s got a good category, and he keeps putting my acts down.”