It seems that Simon Cowell is in talks with US broadcasting network Fox to launch a US version of the X Factor, and he wants Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh to head up the show, according to The Sun.

An ‘insider’ is quoted in the paper as saying, “Simon is really keen on bringing the X Factor to America as it has been such a hit in the UK.

“And he is convinced that the yanks will love Cheryl and Louis.

“He’s made no secret of the fact that he wants to expand his TV interests around the world and this is one of the first big ideas he’s got… Read more & comment »

Simon Cowell’s ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour has been talking to the Press Association about the terrifying attack on her that took place outside the studios where American Idol was being filmed.

It seems that a “crazed fan”, Janice Thibodeaux, launched herself at Terri and tried to strangle her, apparently in retaliation for Terri playfully pretending to throttle judge Paula Abdul a week prior to the attack. Read more & comment »

Medics were yet again called to the X Factor auditions, this time because a young boy dislocated his knee while enthusiastically cheering an auditionee.

It seems that the boy was jumping up and down in his seat while cheering and his knee smashed against the armrest, causing it to dislocate. His knee that is, not the armrest!

Simon Cowell stopped the auditions while paramedics attended to the boy who was later taken to hospital in Birmingham to be treated.

An X Factor spokesman told The Sun, “He [the injured teenager] seemed more upset about missing the rest of the auditions” and added, “Safety is our number one priority and we wish the boy a speedy recovery.” Read more & comment »

Apparently, one of last year’s X Factor hopefuls – who was eliminated because he was deemed to be too young at 15 years old – Mali Michael McCalla, has refused a personal request from Simon to try out for the show again this year.

However, The Sun today has revealed that Mali is “On the brink of a £1million boyband deal” and according to a friend of his, Mali “doesn’t want to be associated with reality shows any more.” The new band is called NSA and they’re being backed by US producers.

Mali was a big hit with the judges last year but given he was only 15, they eventually decided that the pressures of the show may prove too much for him but they’d hoped he’d be back this year. Read more & comment »

It seems that Simon’s trademark sarcastic remarks and put downs got on Dannii Minogue’s wick so much at Wednesday’s X Factor auditions that she balled him out and moved seats at the judges table so as to be as far away from him as possible.

The Daily Mirror reports that it all began when Simon repeatedly interrupted Dannii as she tried to comment on the acts. She put up with it initially but later, during a break in filming, she told him to “stop undermining” her and, in a temper, she moved to the end of the table rather than sitting at Simon’s side.

A source told the paper, “Simon was in an impatient mood and kept interrupting Dannii with really sarcastic remarks when she tried to give her opinion on the acts.

“She tried to keep calm but it all became too much and she turned on him during one of the breaks… Read more & comment »

According to the Daily Mirror, Simon Cowell is definitely leaving the X Factor in order to concentrate on building a “billion-pound global TV and entertainment empire.”

Their report says that Simon has told close friends that the upcoming series of the hit show will be the last time he’s involved with it. It adds that Simon has said he wants Cheryl Cole to “become the new main face of the show” when his £20 million contract with ITV ends in December this year.

However, it seems that ITV are desperate to keep Simon at the show’s helm and fear that viewing audiences of around 15 million would decline if he were not a part of the show.

A friend of Simon’s is quoted in the paper as saying, “He has found X Factor increasingly draining and it leaves him little time for serious business. Now he’s decided this will be his last series and he’s moving on. In future, he will have a more overseeing role.” Read more & comment »

Simon Cowell has credited Susan Boyle as the inspiration to the new X Factor format this year.

This years X Factor auditions will now be filmed in front of a live audience, similar to those of Britain’s Got Talent and Simon says it is all due to the audience reaction received by Susan Boyle.

Cowell told GMTV: “I thought in my mind: ‘What would happen if Susan Boyle, as an example, came on X Factor under the current way we do the auditions?’ Four people sitting behind a desk, no audience, no music, just singing acapella, what would have happened in that environment?

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Simon Cowell revealed on GMTV this morning he gave Susan Boyle the option of pulling out of the Britain’s Got Talent final.

Speaking to GMTV’s Ben Shephard, Simon said, “You can’t predict how things are going to escalate and how well that person can cope.”

Below is the transcript of Simon’s interview:

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Simon Cowell has confirmed rumours that X Factor judge Louis Walsh has had his teeth done, in preparation for the new series of the show.

However the procedure hasn’t been quite the success Louis hoped, Simon told GMTV:

“Louis had his teeth done. No, I’m being serious! He went to my dentist, it hasn’t been the success he was hoping because where as I use a white chart, he used a grey chart and I’m being serious his teeth are straight but they are grey!”

Simon Cowell is said to be planning a remake of classic movie Saturday Night Fever.

The Sun reports that the American Idol boss is chasing High School Musical’s Zac Efron, for the lead role of Tony Manero.

The original movie, controversial for its time, starred John Travolta as Manero and featured many Bee Gee’s tracks in its soundtrack.

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Piers Morgan has poked fun at his fellow Britain’s Got Talent judges, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden for having too much botox.

Piers revealed that Holden was “very excited” about the response to her hairstyle and appearance this season.

Morgan told Heat: “Simon and Amanda are both so full of Botox they really should be dead. It’s ridiculous. I’m the only natural one on the panel. I’m the organic one and far more healthy.”

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Simon Cowell’s right hand hag Sinitta has claimed that she bullied him into losing weight because she was worried about his health.

Sinitta told Metro: “At one point I said to him: ‘You are going to have a heart attack, you need to sort yourself out.’

“In the last two years, he has lost over a stone and he is looking really fit now. He’s not got his man boobs any more and he looks really fresh.”

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Reports suggest that Britain’s Got Talent boss Simon Cowell has snapped up the chance to offer Susan Boyle a recording contract.

Susan may have lost Saturday night’s final to dance troupe Diversity, but she has achieved worldwide notoriety during the audition process and Simon Cowell wants to capitalise on that.

A source told The People: “[Simon] still sees massive potential in Susan and will make her a global superstar. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a single released before the end of the summer.”

I was doing our live coverage of BGT on Twitter last night when Hollie Steel had her breakdown on stage. I don’t know about you, but it was very fraught and emotional, and even I had tears in my eyes. She genuinely looked devastated. Amanda looked devastated. Ant & Dec were – for once – speechless. Piers was conspicuously quiet, and Cowell was put on the spot to give the girl a second chance.

For Simon, it was a Catch 22 situation: Hollie and her mother were pleading for a second chance LIVE on national TV. What was he to do? Break the girl’s heart and take his Mr Nasty persona to new heights, or give her a second chance and risk the wrath of the nation for jeopardising another contestant’s chances? Faced with a tough decision, he didn’t really have much choice – he needed to promise Hollie a second chance to get her off the stage and keep the show running. You can’t really criticise Simon’s actions last night: he took the best action possible given the circumstances.

For Hollie, let me remind you of this: none of us know this kid. I’ve seen some supposedly adult people write some extremely nasty things about this girl. Whether she was genuinely upset or not, whether it was a tantrum or not, she doesn’t deserve all this vitriol. The Internet has a long memory, and I’d hate to think this child has a string of hateful messages left about her on various sites and message boards that she’ll discover and read as she grows up. Read more & comment »

Simon Cowell has had some one to one time with Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle this week.

Susan has had a hard week and been attacked from all sides, Cowell thought that a little pep talk may help her rally for tonight’s final.

A show insider told the Daily Star: “Simon turned up to see Susan and made the whole thing very low-key. She was thrilled to see him. He’s been seriously worried about her, especially in the past few days.

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