Dismissing reports that Cole was dropped from the US show because of a lack of chemistry with fellow judge Paula Abdul, Cowell said he “genuinely” felt Cole would be happier back home in England and on the original “X Factor.” “I hate seeing her hurt. She’s one of — I hope — she’s one of my closest friends, and this was a decision we made which we thought would be beneficial to her, funny enough,” Cowell said in an interview from London. “Not many people will believe that, but that’s the truth,” said Cowell, the former “American Idol” judge who created “The X Factor.” After the UK deal stalled, an effort to retain Cole on the upcoming Fox TV show also failed, he said. Earlier Tuesday, Fox and producers announced that Cole was to be replaced on the network’s version of the singing contest by another British pop star, Nicole Scherzinger, who will shift from co-host to judge on the show debuting this fall.