Simon Cowell clarified that Britney Spears had not stormed off the set of ‘The X Factor’- before jokingly pinning it on Demi Lovato.

In an exclusive interview with E! News, Cowell and Lovato dismissed reports that the ‘I Wanna Go’ singer abandoned her seat at the judges’ table on her very first day handling the show’s very first auditions in Austin, Texas.

“No,” Simon Cowell told E! News, and added that the walk-out was not Britney Spears. “That was Demi,” he joked.

Seated beside him, fellow judge Demi Lovato went along with the gag. ”I was like, you know, tired of Simon,” she playfully agreed before switching to a English accent. “So ‘I had to just, like, go,” she drawled.

Critical judge that he was, Cowell gave Lovato’s accent a poor review. ”I’m not Australian,” he pointed out.

“Whatever,” Demi Lovato humorously responded. The 19-year-old singer spent her debut on ‘The X Factor’ bantering with the older Cowell, 52, whom she called “grandpa” at one point.

Speaking seriously now, Simon Cowell addressed E! News’ question about the supposed case of nerves that plagued Britney Spears during her first day on ‘The X Factor.’ ”There was no walking off,” he clarified. ”We have breaks every 5 or 6 songs. You can go have a cigarette,” he cited, “You can go to the loo.”

According to Cowell, that break got blown out of proportion. “So as soon as anyone left their chairs,” he noted, “It was reported… that someone had left the show—and they hadn’t!” he finished.

In addition to Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato, sources have earlier stated that Britney Spears did not walk out on ’The X Factor.’ One of those sources was the pop diva herself.