LOVES AND HATES SIMON COWELL

MUSIC MOGUL SIMON COWELL, 57, RETURNS TO TV ON THE LATEST The X Factor. HE LIVES IN LONDON AND LA WITH PARTNER LAUREN AND SON, ERIC, AGED THREE

ON THE NEW SERIES OF The X Factor…

I DON’T THINK FOR THE MOMENT WE’D WANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES – IT WORKED LAST YEAR. THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS FOR SHOWS, BUT YOU’VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE.

ON BEING A TOUGH CRITIC… IF I COME OVER AS HARSH AT TIMES, IT’S ONLY BECAUSE I’M BEING REAL. WHEN SOMEONE IS TOTALLY USELESS AND THEY’RE 16 OR 17 AND THEY SAY, “I’M GOING TO GET A RECORDING DEAL IN THREE YEARS’ TIME,” I GO, “YOU’RE NOT. THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS.”

ON PLAN B… I WAS AN ESTATE AGENT FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND IT WAS THE MOST MISERABLE TIME OF MY LIFE. I WORKED FOR THIS REALLY SNOTTY COMPANY WHO HATED ME AND I HATED THEM. LUCKILY, I WAS OFFERED A JOB BACK AT EMI

(THE MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY).

ON FATHERHOOD… IT GIVES YOU SUCH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE. THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT, JUST AREN’T. BECAUSE I SEE A LOT OF THINGS THROUGH ERIC’S EYES NOW, I FIND EVERYTHING TO BE A HAPPIER PLACE.

ON LOSING HIS MUM TO A STROKE IN 2015… I FOUND IT DIFFICULT WHEN SOMETHING IS REALLY AFFECTING YOUR LIFE AND YOU ARE ON A TV SHOW AND YOU’RE TRYING TO BE HAPPY. IT TOOK ME A YEAR TO COME OUT OF IT. WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE. I AM NOT SAYING I’M THE ONLY PERSON IT’S EVER HAPPENED TO, BUT IT HIT ME HARD.

THE X FACTOR returns to ITV this August.