TWO-YEAR BATTLE TO CLEAR NAME My pal Cliff helped me get through sex arrest nightmare
But the kids have come through amazingly, Vicky and I could not be more proud. Scarlet just passed her A-Levels and is off to uni and Jack did brilliantly in his GCSEs. It’s been a busy summer in the Fox family.”
While Cliff supported him, Neil tells of the silence from his old Pop Idol pal Simon Cowell, 59. He says: ays: “I I was good friends with Simon way before the show. He didn’t contact act me during what happened or after. er.
“I wasn’t surprised. Simon imon is Simon. Last time I saw him and d had a proper chat was at his brother’s s 50th birthday.
“He’s cracked on with h his life. I don’t know whether he has amazing mazing friends to know whether he’s good ood with them or not. I’m sure our paths hs will cross at some point, but I don’t t think we will work together again.”
Neil reveals he celebrated rated being cleared at court with a glass of bubbly and a ski trip – after a call to his mum. He explains: “The first thing I did was call her. She was 88, so it was difficult for her. Then we all went on a skiing holiday.”
But despite the court win, Neil’s career has nosedived and he has not worked in broadcasting since.
Millions of fans had tuned in down the y years for his wacky, y, irreverent, , high-octane radio shows.
He says: “I did that job for 29 years. It
defines def ines you and suddenly if you can’t do that it’s hard. It takes away a sense of who you are. Your whole routine is disrupted and you have to create a new one. I’m not missing it at the moment.
“But my wife wants me to get back on air and although I am loving what I am doing now, I also hope I can get back on the radio at some point, as I really love it. But I’ll always hav have a black mark against my name... plus, p I’m getting older. They aren’t begging me back.”
Determined not to wallow in the past, Neil recently launched app Beat The Intro, a music game for Alexa. He adds: “That’s taken up a lot of my time, so I’ve been really busy. And I’ve halfwritten a musical. For the first time I can sort of do anything I want.”
He chuckles as he looks back on his career, saying: “One of my favourite times was Pop Idol – great fun. When I met the Queen at a Buckingham Palace drinks party she asked me who was going to win, Gareth Gates or Will Young?
“I couldn’t believe she knew who I was and she watched. She said ‘ We do have televisions’.”
And he recounts wild nights out with Cowell, revealing: “Oh, we had a few. One particularly mental night was after the GQ awards and we partied with Paris Hilton before she was really famous.”
But while Britain’s Got Talent is riding high on our screens once more – with Cowell again in the hot seat – Neil has harsh words for The X Factor.
He says: “X Factor really feels like it’s way past it’s sell by date... however much money they throw at it. Can’t really make s**t smell of roses!”
Neil – who is training hard for a sponsored cycle ride in aid of the Cornish Air Ambulance – is upbeat about his own future.
He says: “These things are sent to try you. I’ve got to come out of this better not bitter. I’m not dwelling. Yes, I don’t have as much cash as before and it’s been difficult.
“But I’m really enjoying spending time with my family. And would I really want to be uber-famous now? No. It would be weird for the kids.”
She has been my rock and has kept me going when I thought that I wasn’t able to DJ NEIL ON UNWAVERING SUPPORT FROM WIFE VICKY