Simon Cowell has his say on Shirlena getting axed

Simon Cowell has spoken out over The X Factor's decision to axe troubled hopeful Shirlena Johnson.

The single mum was tipped to be a novelty hit after viewers saw her give a bizarre performance of Duffy's hit single Mercy, but now boss Simon Cowell thinks that is unlikely:

''Shirlena desperately wanted to do this to make a better life for herself and her daughter. I feel she may now struggle to do that.'' Simon reportedly told The Sun.

There are concerns over Shirlena's mental health and it is thought psychiatrists worry her condition may worse if she were propelled to fame.

Simon's sad but says they had to listen to the advice they were given:

''I really feel for her. I'm very upset and disappointed. The advice I'm given is that she can't do the show. But there's another argument that we're depriving her of the chance to make some money. Even if she didn't win, she could have picked up money for personal appearances. On the other hand, if we don't take the advice we're irresponsible.''