Simon Cowell has said that he thinks American Idol will continue after he leaves.

Cowell told the New York Post: “If I thought it would lead to the death of Idol I genuinely wouldn’t have done it. We are sure that Idol will continue successfully.

“Everyone seemed quite cool about it. Ellen [DeGeneres] sort of saw the funny side. She was kidding around with me, saying, ‘On my first day you decide to quit?’. She’s professional.

He added: “I don’t think it was a total surprise. It’s a weight off my mind just to tell everybody.”