Reports have claimed that Simon Cowell wanted Cheryl Cole to vote to save John and Edward Grimes on Sunday night’s X Factor.

A source told The Mirror that although Simon wanted Lucie Jones sent home, he didn’t want to be the one who made the call.

An insider said: “It seems Simon may have tried to get Cheryl to vote for the twins so he could save Lucie and then it could have gone to deadlock without him, or the show, losing any credibility.

“But Cheryl knows her own mind and didn’t want to take the fall for him. She thought Lucie deserved to stay.”