Simon Cowell 'devastated' over mother Julie's death from a stroke

The music mogul's mum Julie had been unwell for some time according to British newspaper The Sun, but the 55-year-old had decided to keep her struggles private.

Now it's been confirmed she died aged 89 after suffering a stroke.

“Today our beloved mum Julie passed away. Anyone who had met her would know what a truly special and kind lady she was," the Cowell family said in a statement to the publication.

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“We are heartbroken and will miss her terribly, but she is now at peace.”

Simon's brother Tony was approached by The Sun but said he was too upset to give comment at the time. However he did take to Twitter to share his sadness with fans.

"Very sad night tonight. We will all miss Mum so very much. She was the heart and soul of our family x (sic)" he wrote.

Simon has so far remained silent on social media. However, a source says this will be a very tough time for The X Factor creator.

“Simon is absolutely devastated," the insider said.

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“His mum was the most beloved person in his life and they were incredibly close."

They added that Julie would have been happy to witness Simon settle down with Lauren Silverman and welcome their son Eric in February last year.

Auditions for the upcoming UK X Factor were due to start in Manchester today but they were cancelled to allow Simon to be with his family.