Simon Cowell's mother Julie dies aged 89
The family has been left devastated by the news.
The Cowell family has been left "heartbroken" after the death of their mother, Julie.
Aged 89, the former dancer was mother to Simon and his three brothers - Nicholas, Tony and Michael - and step-mother to John and June.
A family spokeman 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."
"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."
After such devastating news, Manchester auditions for The X Factor, which were due to start today, have been cancelled.
A spokesman from 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."
Our thoughts are with Simon and his family.