Cheryl Fernandez-Versini 'hurt' by claims she looks too thin

The X-Factor judge has been subject to increasing speculation over her weight

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini attends the London auditions of The X Factor at SSE Arena on July 16, 2015 (Getty Images)

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has said she is "hurt" by comments calling her underweight at auditions for the X-Factor on Thursday.

The Sun referred to the X-Factor judge as acknowledging she was “looking too thin” and feeling “mortified” that people believed she was trying to look underweight on purpose.

It also quoted a "close pal" as saying the 32-year-old had been under severe stress, including the death of her husband’s father, but was “eating lots” and getting her strength back up.

“It’s not nice to get criticism but the thing is that I’ve been doing this for 13 years," Fernandez-Versini said. "But there are people out there going through similar things to me that feel the same thing and it hurts them."

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini attends the London auditions of The X Factor at SSE Arena on July 16, 2015 (Getty Images)

Fernandez-Versini reacted angrily to a comment from one Instagram user earlier this month who called her a “bag of bones”, saying she was “sick and tired” of the public’s propensity for body-shaming women.

“I would never dream of calling somebody too fat and that they should maybe cut down on their food intake? What is the difference?” she wrote.

“You have no idea what I’ve been through. Just losing my father in law v. recently and everything that comes with that.

“Not that I am or should justify myself to anyone.”