Kate Thornton: Simon Cowell humiliated me

Kate Thornton felt "humiliated" after Simon Cowell suddenly sacked her from \'The X Factor\'.

The 47-year-old television presenter - who fronted the ITV singing competition in 2004 to 2006 - was shocked to find her contract had not been renewed by the 60-year-old music mogul, as Kate claims she was told she would be kept on.

Speaking on the \'In The Pink\' podcast, she said: "They didn\'t renew my contract having said that they would - and by they, I mean Simon.

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"It was on \'News at Ten\'. It was embarrassing, it was humiliating and it kind of burnt for a bit."

Following the news, she was approached by people on the streets to talk to her about her career, adding to her humiliation.

She explained: "People were lovely but it was all anyone ever talked to me about.

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"I\'d go to Sainsbury\'s and people would ask me if I was OK. After a while it\'s so diminishing."

Kate presented the show for the first three series before being replaced by Dermot O\'Leary.

After being axed, she developed a thick skin despite being "burnt" by a close friend.

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She said: "It hurt more that someone I considered to be a friend hadn\'t been up front with me.

"It\'s tough and you develop the skin of a bloody rhino and I\'m only grateful it happened in a time pre-social media otherwise I\'m sure it would have hurt a lot more now. That would\'ve really hurt."