The Exit Factor: Britain’s Sweetheart Dumped In US

British sweetheart Cheryl Cole has apparently been dumped from U.S. television, and tabloid media say she lost her big break in part over fears American audiences wouldn’t understand her squeaky regional accent.

Cole, whose rags-to-riches showbiz story has captivated Britain, had been expected to appear as a judge on Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor” due to premier in the United States later this year.

Cole and her fans had hoped that would be her ticket to American – and international – stardom. But on Friday Britain’s tabloids announced that she’d been kicked off the show.

A representative for Cowell’s entertainment company declined comment on the matter when approached by The Associated Press.