Cowell: 'I have no regrets over JLS'

Simon Cowell has insisted that he has no regrets over his decision not to snap up JLS at the end of last year's X Factor series.

The four-piece boyband signed up with Epic Records in January after Cowell decided not to offer them a contract with his own SyCo label. Both companies operate under the Sony Music Entertainment umbrella.

On last night's episode of The Xtra Factor, a caller asked Cowell whether he thinks he made the wrong choice after seeing the singers become a success in recent months.

The music mogul replied: "No. My company, we employ about 15 people. We had to make a decision based on how many acts we could cope with this year. But the company who I work with, Sony, had another label who wanted to sign the group. It's still within the same family."

Paying tribute to the band's commitment, he continued: "It's what it's all about. I hope they're an inspiration to other groups. If you give yourself time to form a group, give yourself a few months, you can audition for the show next year. It shows you what a good group can do on the show."

JLS became runners-up in The X Factor's 2008 series after competing against Alexandra Burke in the final.