Cheryl Cole Sues US X Factor For £1.4m

Cheryl Cole has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles seeking a £1.4m (\$2.3m) payout from the makers of the US version of The X Factor.

Simon Cowell dropped the Girls Aloud singer as a judge on the show because producers feared Americans would not understand her Geordie accent.

Cole was paid £1.1m (\$1.8m) for the first series but her lawsuit against LA based Blue Orbit Productions claims that her contract entitles her to be paid for the second series.

She now wants them to pay her £1.25m (\$2m) agreed salary plus promised wardrobe, stylist, accommodation and living allowances.

The 11-page lawsuit was filed with the California Superior Court in LA on Friday and has been published online by The Hollywood Reporter.

Cole claims in the documents that she had a 'pay-or-play' contract for two seasons, which means she should be paid for both regardless of whether she appeared.

She also wants Blue Orbit to pay for first-class, round-trip airline tickets between London and LA and for the cost of her personal security.

In addition the lawsuit asks for interest on the money, legal fees and "further relief as the Court may deem just and appropriate".

After Cole's sacking Cowell told Piers Morgan in an interview: "I took the view along with a few other people that she would be more comfortable back in the UK."

He said the decision to axe Cole was his: "That's what you have to do when you produce - you have to make decisions in the moment, and I take full responsibility for it."

The singer was replaced by former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger after just two episodes had been filmed.