Contestants were set to sing for the X Factor auditions today, but will no longer proceed following the announcement of the loss of Simon Cowell's mother.

A spokesman of Syco Entertainment confirmed, that the scheduled audition for the ITV talent show, which is due today in Manchester will no longer proceed.

The spokesman said, "They were due to start today and carry on into Tuesday and Wednesday. Today has been cancelled and we have not made any decisions beyond that."

Supposedly Cowell will be joined by Rita Ora, Cheryl Fernandez- Versini and Nick Grimshaw as judges for the first try outs of the show, but new judges will have to wait for further update.

It was yesterday when the music mogul's family announced that Julie Cowell passed away.

The 89 year old  mother of Cowell reportedly died of a stroke.

Along with the announcement, Mrs. Cowell's family said in a statement, "Today our beloved mum Julie passed away. Anyone who had met her would know what a truly special and kind lady she was. We are heartbroken and will miss her terribly, but she is now at peace."

A spokesperson for the family said that they are thankful that during their "difficult time" the media is respecting the privacy of their family and they are asking for a continued respect throughout the mourning time.

The spokesman said, "We would like to thank the media for kindly respecting Julie's privacy throughout and we politely request continued privacy for the entire family at this particularly difficult time."

The late Mrs. Cowell was the mother of Nicholas, Simon, Tony and Michael, and step-mother to John and June.

The audition was also scheduled in Manchester on July 7, 8 and 9 before heading to London for the July 14- 17 audition, but there's no latest updates about the line- up of the show.