Simon Cowell's mother passed away earlier today, leaving the family heartbroken and saying 'they would miss her terribly'.
A family spokesman said: "Today our beloved mum Julie passed away. Anyone who had met her would know what a truly special and kind lady she was.
"We are heartbroken and will miss her terribly, but she is now at peace."
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Julie Cowell was mother to Simon and three other boys - Nicholas, Tony and Michael, and step-mother to John and June.
"We would like to thank the media for kindly respecting Julie's privacy throughout and we politely request continued privacy for the entire family at this particularly difficult time, added the spokesman."
In 2009 Julie described Simon as 'a determined and often difficult child' and explained how his's honesty surfaced early.
It was also reported that Julie's biggest regret was that her husband Eric didn't live to see Simon's success.
In light of the devastating news, auditions for the X Factor, which were due to commence in Manchester today, have been cancelled.
A spokesman for Syco Entertainment confirmed: "They were due to start tomorrow and carry on into Tuesday and Wednesday. Tomorrow's have been cancelled and we have not made any decisions beyond that."
Simon's fans have also taken to Twitter to send their condolences.
Our thoughts are with Simon and his family at this difficult time.