Kate Thornton praises "brilliant" Cowell

Kate Thornton has praised her former boss Simon Cowell.

Thornton, who was sacked from The X Factor in 2007, recently claimed that she would never speak to Cowell again.

However, she told The People that her comments had been misinterpreted.

"I was made out to be a seething ball of fury," she said. "I was asked if I still spoke to Simon and I simply said no, because we don't work together anymore.

"I think he's a brilliant businessman. He's a fascinating and complex man, and hugely successful."

Thornton now hosts ITV1's Loose Women.