10 October 2005 16:09:49 BST
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Simon Cowell has given up on his bands and headed off to America just days before they are due to sing for their survival on X Factor, his fellow judge has hinted.
The outspoken judge is rumoured to have lost hope that any of his four groups will win the overall finale and has therefore decided to put all his efforts into his other show, American Idol.
Cowell has boybands 4Tune and Journey South and all-girl groups The Conway Sisters and Addictiv Ladies on his books, but is said to think that none of them have what it takes to make it to the top.
The Daily Star claims that Cowell has resigned himself to losing out to fellow judges Sharon Osbourne, who is looking after the four over-25 finalists, and Louis Walsh, who has the four young hopefuls on his books, in the show's grand finale.
"Simon's not due back in the country until Thursday. That's a bit late isn't it?" the paper quotes rival judge Walsh as saying.
Walsh goes on to say that while he has been working with his acts for more than three weeks, Cowell now only has "a couple of days to get things right".
But this all sounds a little like in-house stirring to us, as Cowell has a pretty good excuse for not being around much.
The self-styled Mr Nasty has had to work later on his US project because the recent hurricanes meant the series overran – hardly his fault, Louis.
