[cub]

No it wasn't a publicity stunt. Why would it be? What's the point behind it?

Cheryl looked bad. She has gained only bad publicity. You don't created a publicity stuntto get bad publicity.

There seems to be a tourette's reaction to everything the X Factor does. This is largely their/Simon's fault of course, but this is no more a publicity stunt than Cheryl getting malaria was a publicity stunt.