Why Alesha Dixon replaced Simon Cowell but Cheryl didn’t

Here’s just why Cheryl didn’t step in for Simon Cowell on The X Factor at the weekend.

Simon was taken to hospital on Friday after becoming ill and falling down the stairs at his house.

In Saturday’s live show on ITV, host Dermot O’Leary said: “Simon was taken to hospital yesterday but he is doing fine, but we do want to say get well soon boss and we hope to see you fighting fit very soon.”

He subsequently missed both the Saturday and Sunday night episodes from the opening weekend of live shows from this year’s series.

On Saturday Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger were on the panel without him despite former judge Cheryl, who had helped Simon at judges’ houses, being in the audience.

For Sunday’s episode, Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon stepped in.

“It’s important that the groups have someone here for them,” Alesha said, revealing she had just five hours’ notice.

Speaking on ITV’s Loose Women yesterday, Louis Walsh revealed why Cheryl didn’t step in but Alesha did.

“Well Alesha has done more auditions,” he said, referring to Alesha’s guest appearances earlier in the series, before seemingly taking a swipe at Cheryl: “And she’s [Alesha] a team player.”

“She’s amazing, she’s so nice and she’s a team player,” he added.

Meanwhile, Louis said “of course” Simon will be back on Saturday, joking he had probably fallen “off his high heels”.

Chatting to The Sun newspaper this week, Simon opened up on his hospital dash: “Sometimes we get a reminder that we’re not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock.”

He explained: “They think I fainted because I had low blood pressure and so I have got to really take good care of myself to sort that out.

“After all I am a dad and have more responsibility than ever.”

The X Factor 2017 continues next Saturday at 8:20PM and Sunday night at 7:05PM on ITV