Simon Cowell at X Factor Manchester auditions after mum Julie Cowell's death

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Put on a brave face just three days after his mother's passing
His family said they were 'devastated' at Julie Cowell's death, aged 89
Mrs Cowell was married to EMI music executive Eric, who died in 1999
The first Manchester auditions had been postponed from the weekend

By Lucy Mapstone and Becky Freeth for MailOnline

Published: 10:05 EST, 8 July 2015 | Updated: 03:37 EST, 9 July 2015

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Simon Cowell was forced to put a brave face on his recent heartache for opening auditions of The X Factor as he headed straight back to business.

It's been just three days since the music mogul was left 'devastated' the loss of his 89-year-old mother Julie but he stayed faithful to his filming commitments and stepped out for his first public appearance.

Simon, 55, gave a polite smile to the cameras as he continued to grieve for his beloved mother, finally resuming plans for hopefuls to audition in the city after the schedule was pushed back at the weekend.

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Back to business: Simon Cowell made his first public appearance on Wednesday for the Manchester auditions of The X Factor, three days after his mother's death

Auditions for the ITV talent show were due to begin in Manchester on Monday but were cancelled in the immediate aftermath of Mrs Cowell's passing.

His family confirmed that the 89-year-old died on Sunday leaving them 'devastated.'

The first try-outs for the new-look show, saw Cowell surrounded by a mixture of old and new friends, as fellow judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini turned out ahead of new additions Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw.

New presenters - known for their former Xtra Factor slot on ITV2 - Olly Murs and Caroline Flack were also there to offer support to the X Factor boss.

Simon Cowell in high spirits for first X Factor auditions

Grieving: The X Factor boss was in town to resume the schedule for X Factor, which had been cancelled earlier in the week

Sad news: Simon's mother Julie (pictured here in 2007) passed away on Sunday at the age of 89

Cowell made no depature from his signature white T-shirt, jeans and black shoes combination but hid largely behind tinted Aviator shades.

The head judge was uncharacteristically shy, having kept quiet on the subject until the previous evening when he paid tribute to fans who'd taken the time to send their well-wishing.

He said on Twitter: 'My family lost someone very special on Sunday. My Mum. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the kind messages received. Thank you. X'

Simon's brother Tony similarly broke his silence on social media and said earlier in the week: 'Very sad night tonight. We will all miss Mum so very much. She was the heart and soul of our family.'

Staying strong: Mr Cowell had thanked fans for their support the previous evening as he prepared to meet with the public

Support: One fan even appeared to stop and give some kind words to the music boss

Tender moment: The star seemed to be very appreciative of the public support

Mrs Cowell was married to EMI music executive Eric, who died in 1999, aged 81, and is now the namesake for Cowell's first child with girlfriend Lauren Silverman.

A representative confirmed the change to the schedule earlier this week, explaining: 'They were due to start today and carry on into Tuesday and Wednesday. Today's have been cancelled and we have not made any decisions beyond that.'

A spokesman for Mr Cowell's family said: '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.'

Mrs Cowell was the mother of four boys - Simon and his brothers Nicholas, Tony and Michael, and step-mother to John and June.

Close-knit: Simon and Julie (centre) pictured at her 70th birthday with her children and late husband Eric (right)

A spokesman for the family added: '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.'

A friend of Simon added to The Sun newspaper: 'Simon is absolutely devastated. His mum was the most beloved person in his life and they were incredibly close.

'But at least she got to see him settle down and start a family which was one of the great wishes of her life. Julie had been unwell for some time and she was in a home. But Simon and his brothers were in constant contact with her and the family remained very close.

'They had been paying regular visits to her bedside and it's been a God send that Simon hadn't had to do too much work in the US over the last year. He's completely heartbroken.'

'She was the heart and soul of our family': Simon's brother Tony shared his sadness on Twitter after the loss of his mother

'He's devastated': A source close to the 55-year-old has claimed he was 'devastated' after losing his mum, who was 'the most beloved person in his life'

Simon Cowell goes on holiday with beloved mum Julie in 2005

The sad news of Julie's death came the day before the new series of The X Factor was due to get underway, with the first auditions taking place in Manchester.

And it was revealed on the official Applause Store Twitter account as the news was announced that the auditions had been cancelled, and that they had alerted ticket holders.

'We are so sorry - but due to unforeseen circumstances tomorrow's (Monday) @TheXFactor Manchester auditions have been cancelled.... All ticket holders have been emailed. We are so sorry :0(,' they announced on the social networking site.

The 55-year-old TV and music star was famously close to his mother Julie, who was a strong pillar in his life, especially after her husband Eric - Simon's father and his own son's namesake - died in 1999, aged 81.

Cancelled: It was revealed on the official Applause Store Twitter account that the first X Factor auditions - which were to take place in Manchester on Monday - were cancelled

Apologies: ITV are thoughts to have cancelled the first day of filming for the new series of X Factor

She was on-hand last year when the X Factor boss welcomed his first son, reportedly meeting him just a few weeks after his birth.

He and girlfriend Lauren Silverman took a special flight over from America - where they lived at the time - to London to see his mother and introduce her to her adorable grandson.

Simon has previously opened up about the loss of his father, 16 years ago, admitting it was the worst time of his life.

The former EMI executive succumbed to a heart attack in 1999 aged 81, while he was at home with Julie.

'I can't lie, it was the worst day of my life,' he confessed during an interview with Piers Morgan on his Tonight Show on CNN.

'It was a horrible horrible time,' he added.

At the time, he credited his father with giving him a unique ability to use his charms to be able to reach out and connect with anybody regardless of their background.

A loving grandma: Simon was thrilled last year when he was able to introduce his son Eric to his mum Julie, as he reportedly flew from the US to the UK just so she could meet the tot

'He said to me - because he was successful, my dad, when he ran his company - he said, 'everybody around you has an invisible sign on their head which says 'make me important', Simon revealed.

'What I understood from that is that you've got to recognise that everyone around you wants to be recognised, wants to be appreciated.

'What I try and remember is that when I make a show, everyone has played a part in it. The show is created, truthfully, by 500 people every week.'

During the very same interview, Simon gushed about his mother, who he openly adored, admitting that he loves her cooking so much he actually once refused to take her out for a meal.

'I drove down there recently because I really wanted my mum to cook me lunch,' he said.

'I said, 'I'm going to come down tomorrow for lunch. She said, 'great, we'll book a hotel'. But I said, 'no I want your lunch'.'

'So eventually she did cook for me. But I like those days.'