| | |  | Simon Cowell News & Gossip
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| | Simon Cowell Knows How to Party | | Added 15 years ago | Source: Yeeeah |
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Simon Cowell’s $2 million dollar, nine-hour long birthday party this weekend was a marvelous testament to narcissism and Caligulan excess. The Daily Mail says
A 60ft high image of Cowell was beamed across the frontage of the palladian mansion venue at Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire. The waiters [all] wore Simon Cowell masks.
Endless [$1000] magnums of Louis Roederer champagne were on offer. He even had baby sharks swimming in tanks in the lavatories.
The party’s entertainment included exotic topless dancers, naked women gyrating behind a big screen, and a guest enjoying a good whipping on stage from a dominatrix.
But the highlight of the show was the appearance on stage of a giant replica of female genitalia, joined by two giant sex toys.
And of the guests:
The model Jordan, mother of three, was so drunk she could hardly stand. Kate Moss anticipated being so out of it that she insisted no photographs be taken of her that night. Amanda Holden left with her knickers in full view of the cameras. One man departed in a limo completely naked [great shot of him here].
Well, once at my birthday party, I had a clown and a magician, and my dad came downstairs in the middle of it without any pants on, so I think I kind of understand what Simon’s birthday party was like. Only instead of a 60-foot high image of me and giant dancing genitalia, my Dad bumrushed the magician through a sliding glass door because he thought he was the step-aerobics instructor my mom had been sleeping with. I spent most of that party giving a statement to the arresting officer and picking glass out of my hair. Turning nine really sucks.
Surrounded by — what else? — women and mirrors:
PHOTO CREDIT: Bauer-Griffin Online, Pacific Coast News Online
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| | Simon Cowell Writes Letter To His 'Cocky' Younger Self | | Added 15 years ago | Source: MTV |
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'American Idol' judge addresses early failures, personal life in essay for U.K. newspaper.By Jim Cantiello
Simon Cowell
Photo: Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images
Simon Cowell turns 50 next week, and in honor of his half-century on Earth, the "American Idol" judge addressed his "cocky" younger self in an introspective letter published by a British newspaper on Sunday.
In the more than 3,500-word letter published in the Daily Mail, Cowell described his career highs and lows — from helming one of the best-selling singles in U.K. history to spending beyond his means and racking up massive amounts of debt — in flowery detail.
When discussing the moment his first record label went belly-up, Cowell wrote, "So the sun went down on your shiny empire and you had to go back to living with Mum and Dad. That was, as I am sure you and I agree, humbling to say the least. Yet what is harder — much harder — is trying to claw your way back up the ladder."
At times the letter is both self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing. While patting himself on the back for correctly predicting the sales potential in marketing music on television for BMG, he also explained that his record-label cohorts thought of him as "a freak. Or worse."
Cowell recounted one particularly low moment when he heard his boss trash his career to a low-level employee: "As you turn the corner towards his office, you hear his temporary PA ask him: 'What does Simon Cowell do in this company?' The boss answers: 'Whatever is sh-- in this company, that is what Simon Cowell does.'"
According to his letter, Cowell's tales of woe hearken all the way back to the '80s when he ran Fanfare Records. After a few hit records with then-girlfriend Sinitta, Cowell lived a lavish lifestyle he could not maintain. "You are about as bad an example of '80s excess as you could possibly be," Cowell wrote. "You are overconfident, far too cocky and dressed from head to toe in expensive designer gear. Armani and Versace. Oh, nothing but the best for you, Simon! It hasn't dawned on you yet, you idiot, that you can't afford any of this stuff."
The letter also served as a thank-you to Cowell's mentors, one of whom is BMG chairman Richard Griffiths, who apparently told Simon, "Don't ever blame anyone else if things go wrong. You're in charge, so it's your fault." Cowell cited that piece of advice as a big turning point in his career: "Never again will you let yourself feel intimidated by others; indulging yourself by thinking that it's poor little you against the world."
The "Idol" judge even discussed his personal life. "You have had lots of relationships with women and have remained close to all of your exes. Their friendship is important to you, it sustains you through your tremendous workload and commitments." He also feels no regret for remaining a bachelor. According to Cowell, that's just the way he's wired. "Sometimes, when friends are over, you want to ask them to leave," he wrote. "You get hit by black moods and you want to be alone. Stuff like that is difficult when you have a wife and kids."
Cowell closed the letter by hinting that his TV career might be winding down. "You need to feel you are welcome into people's homes, not somehow forcing your way in. If you feel that is happening, you will be off, gone."
Despite Simon's cryptic conclusion, "Idol" fans can rest easy. Earlier this year, Cowell re-upped his contract through 2011.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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| | Simon Cowell To Sign New 'American Idol' Contract | | Added 15 years ago | Source: MTV |
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Judge is reportedly finalizing deal for three more years.By Gil Kaufman
Simon Cowell
Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage
"American Idol" has lost one popular judge already this year, but it's not about to lose its most iconic face. According to the Hollywood Reporter, British baddie Simon Cowell will be rendering his acid-tongue opinions on "Idol" for at least three more seasons.
The news comes a week after fellow judge Paula Abdul announced via Twitter that she will be leaving the show. Cowell is heading into the final year of his current contract, and during a teleconference, the CEO of CKX, parent company of "Idol" co-producer 19 Entertainment, said that negotiations to keep Cowell locked down through 2011 are being finalized.
"We've heard from Fox, who has asked us for approval for Simon Cowell to appear for three more years on 'Idol,' " CEO Robert Sillerman said. "They, in their negotiations with Cowell, have asked us to pre-approve him not only for 'American Idol' '09, which has begun taping, but they have also asked us for approval for '10 and '11, indicating to us that they're finishing their negotiation with Cowell. We did grant approval for that, quite obviously."
In the spring, Cowell suggested that the upcoming season of "Idol" might be his final one, as he has other projects he's interested in pursuing, including a long-held desire to bring his popular British talent program "X Factor" to the U.S. Fox has an option to air "Factor" but has not yet put it on the schedule. Earlier this summer, the Reporter announced Cowell had begun contract negotiations for a new "Idol" deal. Sillerman did not disclose any financial details of the Cowell talks, but the Reporter said that he is reportedly due to earn $45 million, up from his current $36 million-a-year contract. A spokesperson for "Idol" had no comment at press time.
Though the network and producers could not come to terms with Abdul — who reportedly wanted a significant raise to more than $10 million a year — they did pick up an option for new judge Kara DioGuardi and also gave a raise to host Ryan Seacrest. Third judge Randy Jackson is under contract through the end of the upcoming ninth season of the show.
While Abdul will not be returning, Fox has announced a slate of celebrity guest judges who will sit in, including Victoria Beckham and singer Katy Perry.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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(photo from WireImage)
Paula Abdul’s manager went to the LA Times, to tell them that it doesn’t look she will be returning to American Idol as a Judge because as of yet they have not have not received any proposal for her return.
“Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol,’ ” David Sonenberg, Abdul’s manager, told The Times when contacted about the judge’s contract negotiations.
With auditions for the ninth season due to start Aug. 6, Sonenberg says he doesn’t even have a proposal for a new contract from FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, the production companies behind the show. The new season is scheduled to premiere in January.
“I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful,” he said of the contract holdup. “I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do.”
“She’s not a happy camper as a result of what’s going on. She’s hurt. She’s angry,” Sonenberg said. “I think at this point we’re going to be considering everything, including some kind of a competition show. She has tremendous ideas for a whole variety of shows.”
She is not the only one who is not a happy camper, I would be beyond upset to lose her on the show. There are one 3 people AI can’t live without and they are Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest and Paula Abdul. The rest of them could go bye-bye and I wouldn’t care. Would you still watch American Idol without the unpredictable Paula Abdul? She was the fun part because you never knew what she was going to be like and what she was going to say.
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| | Is it worth $144 million to keep Simon Cowell on American Idol? | | Added 15 years ago | Source: Seriously OMG WTF |
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(photo from WireImage)
The Guardian is reporting that Simon Cowell was offered somewhere between $100-$144 million to stay on American Idol for season 10 and I don't think in these economic times anyone is worth that amount of money.
A source close to Fuller says that Cowell has already been offered three to four times the $36m he was paid for American Idol in 2008 - but then, he is the most important person on the show and the series makes $900m a year and attracts audiences of 25 million. The point is that Cowell makes nothing more than this admittedly large performance fee and that's the gap the Green deal hopes to fill.
While I understand that Idol brings in $900 million a year, Fox affils are laying off people left and right and maybe if Fox put some of the money back into the company and not into Simon Cowell's pocket more people would still have their jobs and not collecting unemployment.
Don't get me wrong, I love Simon and I want to keep on the show but is anyone worth that amount of money? Do you think he is worth over $100 million to keep him on American Idol?
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| | Simon Cowell is richer than you | | Added 15 years ago | Source: The Blemish |
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Simon Cowell made $36 million last year for judging American Idol, but his contract expires in May. The co-producers of FOX and 19 Entertainment must really love him because they’ve offered him between $100 million and $144 million per year to stay. More than four times his previous salary.
While $36 million may seem like a lot of money for five months worth of snarky comments and eye-rolls, it’s only a fraction of the estimated $900 million that “Idol” rakes in a year. As the lynchpin of the show — without him there would be no one to hate and no dramatic tension with Paula Abdul — Cowell believes he’s due for a raise.
FOX and 19 Entertainment are really good mediators. They should handle hostage negotiations. When the bad guys ask for $3 million and a plane to fly to the Bahamas, they’ll counter with $10 million and their own private jet with an escort to fly to wherever they want. But, in their defense, they’ll be very firm about it being their final offer.
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| | ?American Idol' offers Simon Cowell $144 million a year | | Added 15 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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What is Simon Cowell worth? If I had to puzzle over this question for more than a minute, I?d probably decide that his worth is more about the amount I?m willing to pay him to shut the hell up than anything else. To me there?s nothing useful about the man. Yes he?s capable of being mean, why is that such a marketable skill? What he should be most famous for is rocking the world?s worst flat-top haircut for at least ten years. The guy?s so loudly critical of everyone else ? why doesn?t anyone but me scream at him over his hair? It just looks like absolute trash.
Back on track?. Because I could talk smack about Simon?s freshly-mowed-suburban-lawn haircut all day?. if you?re wondering what anyone more valuable than myself thinks Cowell is worth, it?s well in the neighborhood of $144 million a year. You read that right. And that?s not the total of all his projects ? that?s just to stay on ?American Idol.?
EARLY salary figures from Simon Cowell’s “American Idol” contract negotiations are leaking out and they’re eye-popping. Cowell, who reportedly made $36 million last year for judging the hit competition show, has been offered three or four times that amount — between $100 million and $144 million per year — by co-producers Fox and 19 Entertainment to stick with “Idol” when his contract expires next May, according to The Guardian, a London newpaper [sic].
Fox declined yesterday to comment about the salary negotiations. While $36 million may seem like a lot of money for five months worth of snarky comments and eye-rolls, it’s only a fraction of the estimated $900 million that “Idol” rakes in a year. As the lynchpin of the show — without him there would be no one to hate and no dramatic tension with Paula Abdul — Cowell believes he’s due for a raise.
To get more of the pie, he’s been leaning on long-time friend and UK retail multibillionaire Sir Philip Green — who owns hot fashion franchise Top Shop — for help negotiating the terms of what would be a new “Idol” contract, reports say. Green is said to be lobbying hard for an increase in Cowell’s appearance fee on the show.
?”Idol” is only one of Cowell’s TV contracts which are on the verge of expiring. His three-year deal, which spawned hits “Britain’s Got Talent” and “The X-Factor,” with UK’s ITV, ends this year.
[From Page Six]
Cowell?s long-term plan is to create an ?international TV production, talent management and merchandising company,? which he will helm, while Green takes care of the business?s finances. And apparently there?s no better way to start your company off right than with out of this world demands just for sitting in a chair.
I do understand what Simon brings to the show, I just don?t understand WHY he brings it. I would probably watch ?American Idol? if it weren?t for him. But I don?t really need to spend an hour of my day watching one of the few successful grownup bullies act like a mean fifth grader with a microphone. I?d bet $20 if they were to keep the cameras rolling during commercial breaks, you?d find Simon in the bathroom doling out swirlies and pantsing people. Marketable skill indeed.
Here?s Simon and his flat top leaving his hotel in Birmingham yesterday. Images thanks to WENN.com. Header photo of Simon in Glasgow on June 8th used solely to illustrate previous hair-
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| | Susan Boyle won't get long to rest, BGT producers want an album fast | | Added 15 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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As everyone knows by now, ?Brittan?s Got Talent? runner-up Susan Boyle succumbed to the pressure of the massive onslaught of worldwide attention she unexpectedly received. Some think she cracked under the stress of losing. Whatever happened ? and it?s entirely Boyle?s own business ? she?s starting to feel better, according to reports. And she?s the sort where I believe most people genuinely want to see her do well, even if they?re suffering from ?Susan Boyle fatigue.? She seems like a genuinely good, kind person. Certainly someone who was not prepared for all the attention she got, nor understood just how it would affect her. Fame seems nice and fun and we tend to complain about celebrities that bitch about the downsides of it. But I wouldn?t want to be famous for anything ? I honestly don?t think any of the superficial advantages make all the disadvantages worth it.
Susan?s friends are worried about her future. While they say she?s doing better, they believe that working on an album or doing anything too stressful involving ?Brittan?s Got Talent? will be too stressful for her, and might lead to another breakdown.
The good news: ?Britain?s Got Talent? phenom Susan Boyle is said to be recovering well after her post-finale anxiety attack. The bad news: Once she?s back on her feet, agenda item 1-A is to launch Boyle?s music career, thrusting her back into the very spotlight that burned her in the first place.
?There are people close to Susan who are devastated by this news,? says a source close to ?BGT.? ?She was so far out of her comfort zone and she could barely keep it together ? that?s a fact the whole world is aware of. This has disaster written all over it.?
The tentative plan for Boyle involves having “Talent” and “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell ensure that she records albums with potential to sell well in the United States, with the hopes that buyers will see her tale as one of redemption? ?She doesn?t want to say no to recording,? says the source. ?But everything else that comes with it? Concerts, television appearances? This is not what?s best for her. There has to be a way where she can sing and be financially secure, and not have to sacrifice her well-being.?
?Let’s hope that Susan Boyle takes her time in recovering. That would allow some time to lapse between ?BGT? and her
big debut, and time might be the only way to discover the elusive middle ground between fame and ruin.
[From MSNBC?s The Scoop]
There?s also reason to believe some YouTube posters might have intentionally affected the outcome of the show. Within minutes of Boyle?s performance, clips were posted on the site. But they instead listed the wrong number to call ? making people wonder if the slim 4.7% margin between Boyle and winning dance group Diversity might be even slimmer ? if it exists at all.
With a 4.7 percent difference in votes between ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ winners Diversity and their more famous runner-up Susan Boyle, the Daily Mail now suggests that something as simple as a wrong number on YouTube clips may have done in the presumed front-runner Boyle.
Immediately after Boyle’s performance in the ‘Talent’ finals Saturday night, unofficial video clips were uploaded to YouTube, apparently containing incorrect phone numbers that mislead hundreds of Boyle’s voting fans. The last two digits of Boyle’s voting number appearing in the clips had been changed from the correct ‘08? to either ‘07? or ‘09? - the numbers for dance group Diversity and singer Shaun Smith.
British broadcasters ITV were aware of the videos’ existence - though ostensibly not the incorrect numbers - but allowed the clips to stay up to increase advertising ratings. An ITV spokesperson said, “The voting lines for the finalists were clearly displayed and read out after each act had performed in the final, with further calls to action for all of the acts at four further points in the evening.”
“We are satisfied viewers had ample opportunity to know which voting numbers to call. We are not responsible for any phone numbers which may have been posted on unofficial websites.”
[From PopEater]
This is the same kind of scandal ?American Idol? has dealt with a few times in terms of phone service issues. With big shows like these there?s invariably some sort of conspiracy theory ? and sometimes they have some weight. This one especially does, because instead of blaming the telephone service providers (as has happened a few times with ?American Idol?) which I find sort of hard to believe, we?re talking about lots of individuals with nothing better to do than try to mess up the show via YouTube.
And I can absolutely believe there are plenty of losers out there doing that. All we can do is hope they didn?t really have any significant impact. Surely they fooled some people, but as ITV said, they verbally gave the correct number every time. That doesn?t mean the YouTube posters didn?t have an effect, it just means ITV didn?t do anything wrong.
Hopefully Susan can give herself the time she needs to figure out what she wants from her life. Normally I?d say ride out your 15 minutes and make as much money as you can, because it won?t last forever. And she obviously doesn?t have a pop music voice. But in her case, that could do more harm than good, and nothing is worth losing your happiness. Maybe this?ll be that amazing story she tells kids when she?s 80, and it?s meant to be an interesting, crazy part of her life that makes her love her regular existence even more.
Susan Boyle is shown on 5/12/09 and 5/11/09.Images thanks to Fame Pictures .
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| | Simon Cowell Ready To Move Into $22M Mansion | | Added 15 years ago | Source: Feed Me Gossip |
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A few months ago, Simon Cowell was installing a private tanning salon in his $22 million, 11,550 sq ft Beverly Hills home. And now, he’s ready to move in.The Daily Mail says the following:Cowell will have a solarium off the master bedroom that includes a full-sized tanning machine and a smaller “booster” facial tanning machine.And that’s not all. Cowell will enjoy a gym, spa, steam room and lap pool. He will have a butler and a live-in maid.And it gets better: He’ll be surrounded by A-list neighbors like Tom Cruise, Madonna, the Osbournes and the Beckhams.“I’ve been involved in every aspect of the design of the new place, right down to the doorknobs. I have other houses but this is my dream home,” Cowell said.
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| | Will Simon Cowell leave American Idol? | | Added 15 years ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Anyone who’s been watching the last couple seasons of the FOX juggernaut “American Idol” knows that Simon Cowell, the “mean” judge, has pretty much mentally checked out of the show. He basically alternates between looking bored out of his mind and not giving a crap. It’s pretty clear that he is there to collect his millions, harass Paula, flirt with Ryan Seacrest, and that’s all. Recently, Simon indicated that he is considering leaving the show in order to free up his schedule for other projects. But where would that leave “Idol?”
However, he admits that even he cannot keep up his hectic workload for too much longer. ?I don?t want to come over as whiney because I am very grateful that I have got these jobs,? he says.
?But there is a point where I am not sure we can keep this schedule up. It takes longer and longer to make these shows because you have to put more into them, and I am not sure we can sustain me doing three shows a year, with the record label and the TV production company.
?Most people do one show a year and I do three and they involve a lot of travelling. One may have to go. I don?t know which one. That is the problem, I like all of them. I can?t imagine not doing Britain?s Got Talent and I can?t imagine not doing X Factor. But I guess America is more likely to go because I have got one year under contract. Maybe that will be the end.?
As one door closes, another one opens… he reveals there could be something different in the TV pipeline next year.
?Yes, I have got one idea to launch a big new show next year,? he says. ?But can I tell you what it is? Absolutely not.?
Cowell says he has a special affection for Britain?s Got Talent ? more than X Factor ? especially in the audition stages.
He smiles: ?There is something about this show ? it was very difficult to get anyone enthusiastic about Britain?s Got Talent. I thought it was going to be easy. The fact that at first it was a struggle and then it was a hit makes it something very special.
?And I have to say that in terms of the auditions, I much prefer doing Britain?s Got Talent than X Factor and Idol because they genuinely make me laugh. I have no idea what is coming next. It is genius TV. It is beautifully made and brutally observed.?
[From The Mirror]
A lot of people really like Simon’s critiques on “Idol,” and I used to be one of them. But now he is boring and just as trite and cliche as all the other judges. Plus, he looks like he could care less who wins or loses at this point. Maybe it is time for him to go, so they can replace him with someone who actually wants to be there. He’s certainly made his money from the show, so why stick around if he’d rather not participate?
Simon Cowell is shown at the Elton John Oscar Party in February 2009. Photo credits: Fame.
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