Cheryl in swipe at Cowell the ‘pot-stirrer’

CHERYL has issued a savage swipe at Simon Cowell – and it’s pretty close to the bone.

The Geordie singer will be back on our screens on the BBC with her new role.

Starring on new Beeb show The Greatest Dancer, the former Girls Aloud singer has swapped ITV’s The X Factor for the new gig.

Speaking to the TV Times, Cheryl admitted: “I always felt I was more a mentor than a judge anyway, but there was definitely a more competitive nature among us judges on The X Factor... probably because Simon Cowell was stirring the pot!”

Cheryl, 35, has a baby son, Bear, with Wolverhampton singer Liam Payne.

She had a fall out with Cowell after losing touch with him when she left X Factor.

They had a difficult friendship which finally derailed when Simon axed Cheryl from the US version of the show at the audition stage.

The mum-of-one has now taken up a mentor role on the BBC’s new dance show where contestants hope to win £50,000 and a chance to preform on Strictly.

Insiders have rubbished claims Cheryl Cole has been ‘sidelined’ from press campaigns for Greatest Dancer, after her single hit a low chart number.

Love Made Me Do It struggled to No.77 in the charts after a brutal backlash from X Factor fans following her performance.