Simon Cowell "wasn't really expecting" to get emotional about his mother's death on 'The X Factor'.

Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

The 55-year-old music mogul has confessed he did break down in tears after watching Joshua Daniel's rendition of Labrinth's 'Jealous' on the ITV show because the lyrics reminded him of his beloved mother Julie, who passed away in July.

Simon explained: "I mean it was quite near when it all happened and I think it was the last audition and I wasn't really expecting what happened and of course the lyric of the song and it was quite difficult because I thought, 'God this is going to be really hard to sit through this.' But then you've got to think of him [the auditionee] and it's his moment but yes it was very emotional."

Simon also admitted it was his mother's love of 'The X Factor' that convinced him to go back to work so soon after her death.

He told ITV's 'Loose Women': "She was a huge fan of the show, she loved the show which sort of made the decision, 'When do you go back to work on something like this?' because it's hard and it really was what I thought she would have said to me which was, 'No 100 per cent you've got to go back to work.'"

Simon's fellow judge Nick Grimshaw also claimed it is emotional reactions to performances like Simon's that make the show what it is.

He added: "It just goes to show how much a song and a performance can move you and I guess that's why we want to be part of this show because it's those real moments that make it so exciting and honest."