Cheryl Cole's Accent Kills Her X-Factor Gig

British sweetheart Cheryl Cole has reportedly been dumped from US television, and tabloids say she lost her big break in part over fears American audiences wouldn't understand her regional accent or the phrases unique to her corner of Britain. Cole’s rags-to-riches showbiz story has captivated her country—she had been expected to appear as a judge on Simon Cowell's The X Factor later this year. But Britain's tabs say the 27-year-old had been removed as a judge, and her official status with the program, which has already started shooting, remains unclear.

Cole speaks with what's known in the UK as a Geordie accent. Particular to Newcastle, many from the region use words such as "bairn" instead of "child," "hinny" instead of "woman," and "me" instead of "my." Intonation tends to rise at the end of sentences, while vowel sounds tend to shift in such a way that the word "brown" ends up sounding more like "brune." Cowell’s PR team declined comment, but reportedly they are “trying to sort something out,” said a guest on Britain’s version of X-Factor. At least Simon and Paula are getting along... (More The X Factor stories.)