Simon Cowell Dismisses ‘Britney Walk Off’ Claims

Simon Cowell, moobed talent show overlord and knight in shining armor, has ridden to the rescue of Britney Spears after the singer was accused of storming off the X Factor set during auditions.

Reports of Spears’ diva-like behavior first leaked last week, prompting Spears herself to deny the claims. Cowell has now stepped in, however, blaming the media for spreading false rumors and telling people to leave. Britney. Alone.

Spears was recently unveiled alongside former Disney Channel singer/actress Demi Lovato as a new judge for the U.S. version of The X Factor. She started earning her $15 million-per-season paycheck on May 24, when she made her judging debut at auditions in Texas.

And it was in Texas that Britney’s supposed storming off took place. Some outlets reported Britney walked out on her first day while a characteristically hapless contestant murdered her song ‘Hold It Against Me.’ Yet Spears laughed off the claim, saying she was just taking a break from judging.

Cowell and Lovato have now supported her in a new video interview for the X Factor website, and joked that it was actually Lovato who walked off set. In the interview, Lovato adopts an English accent and says, “I was like, you know, tired of Simon, so I had to just, like, go.” Hilarious stuff

Cowell then Got Serious and explained to the interviewer:

“There was no walking off. We have breaks every five or six songs. You can go have a cigarette, you can go to the toilet. So as soon as anyone left their chairs, it was reported … that someone had left the show – and they hadn’t!”

Spears and Lovato have replaced Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul for the second season of the talent show. The X Factor‘s season two will begin airing on Fox in September 2012.