Melody Plant

Step right up. Cheryl Cole has a guardian angel in the form of Simon Cowell.

The X-Factor darling whose marriage imploded in the most humiliating of circumstances could find herself with a seat on the Vegas caravan.

The UK newspaper The Mirror reports Cole has made it clear she likes America, and Cowell rates the tiny starlet.

Cowell’s X-Factor export to the US could be the biggest thing in entertainment this decade.

The rumoured addition of Cole, who has the experience of judge and contestant, is gaining ground in the wake of her marriage split.

According to the paper, Cowell has been in talks with execs for a $2.2 million deal with Cole.

Cowell said: “I took more of a gamble taking Piers Morgan to the States. Cheryl will be loved immediately. We’ve got to nail her down.”

One source said:”Getting the right combination for the panel is imperative and Cheryl ticks all the boxes. She is sassy, sexy, confident and knows her stuff musically. Her profile may not be large on Stateside yet, but that is not a huge mountain to climb. In fact, Simon thinks it will work to his advantage as there’s an element of mystery about her that is lacking from so many US stars. The money on offer is huge, but Simon knows it has to be a lot to persuade her to uproot and move over, albeit temporarily.”

Source: Splash News

Even though he was pretty near to getting the privilege to go home, Tim Urban was saved to sing another day and more than made up for it last night. He chose a pretty hard song to cover, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, but he did it with flying colors and that got the admiration of both Ellen DeGeneres who even gave him a hug and Simon Cowell who said: “This week, very, very smart with that song, because it’s a song that reacts. By far, the strongest performance you’ve given in the competition.” So Tim Urban is safe once more. It looks like his voice finally managed to catch up with his good looks. Now Tim Urban just has to figure out how what other aces he can stuff up his sleeve.

The American Idol contestant who seems to have a thing for songs of ages past might have overstayed her welcome this week. Lily Scott’s song choice for last night, Patsy Cline’s “Fall to pieces”, seems to have impressed the judges well enough, but perhaps not the public as well. Ellen DeGeneres commended Lily Scott for her style, but Simon Cowell remains the eternal skeptic and thinks that the song choice might have not been the most inspired one. Maybe Lily Scott will have garnered the support of a lot of people who love good music who’ll manage to save her this week too and she will probe Simon Cowell wrong. Those are two big achievements for just one week.

Simon Cowell’s mother has revealed that she was surprised when the music mogul told her that he had got engaged.

The X Factor judge, 50, recently proposed to his make-up artist girlfriend, Mezhgan Hussainy, 36.

But his mum Julie, 84, said: “I never thought Simon would get married, so it was a surprise when he told me he was engaged.”

She added: “I didn’t know that he had been thinking that way, but it’s just wonderful news.

“Mezhgan is a lovely woman.”

Source: Splash News

Simon Cowell sometimes manages to shock even himself with his caustic criticisms.

The star judge of The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol said of some of his judgements on the wannabe star acts that come before him on two continents: “There are many, many times where I’ve watched the show back and I’m absolutely appalled.”

Softening with age – or romance – or both? The newly engaged and just turned 50 Cowell said: “I think that you’ve got to be able to take it back as much as give it out – and it’s a delicate balance.”

Cowell spoke to fellow judge Piers Morgan on his Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in a show that will air this Saturday in the UK on ITV-1. He has just become engaged to US make-up artist on Idol, Mezhgan Hussainy, 36.

Star judge Simon Cowell has tipped a female will win his last season of American Idol.

Cowell, 50, made the forecast as his engagement to Mezghan Hussainy slowly turned from fiction to fact this week and ahead of his own sudden departure from the show.

Exactly a dozen women are among the ninth season’s 24 semi-finalists with a good shot at the Fox singing contest.

Cowell said: “We’ve had a few years of guys winning the show, and I would say there is definitely a better chance of a girl winning the show this year, certainly, than last year.”

Last year, Cowell fulfilled the prediction for the UK with what could be seen as the greatest discovery in talent show history emerging in the face of Susan Boyle – on Britain’s Got Talent. With plans to take the X-Factor on the road to Vegas, Cowell was not stopping with SuBo. “I’d love to find a Taylor Swift,” he said.

Simon Cowell has said he is ’smitten’ with new girlfriend Mezhgan Hussainy and said she could be ‘the one’.

The 50-year-old music mogul recently sat down for an interview with pal Piers Morgan for his Life Stories show and opened his heart about his life.

When asked about Hussainy, he said: “I’m smitten with Mezhgan – I think she’s the one. She’s very special.”

Hussainy was sitting in the audience while he filmed the show and it is claimed the pair pulled faces at each other.

Talking about kids, he added: “I think I need to have little Simons around.”

Nick Williams, who was part of the audience at the interview, said: “She was two or three rows back, but they kept exchanging glances.

“Piers asked him several times whether he was engaged, but he would not confirm anything.”

Ellen DeGeneres provided the laughs as she made her American Idol debut.

The US chat show queen had fellow judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi in stitches as a week of Hollywood auditions began.

Idol host Ryan Seacrest introduced DeGeneres to the hopefuls on stage at the Kodak Theatre.

She told them: “I don’t know how you feel right now but I’ll tell you one thing. When I’m asked, ‘what do I know about music?’ Well, I know what it’s like to stand on stage and try to please a whole room full of people. That is a hard thing to do.”

The first auditionee to feel DeGeneres wrath and humour was Antonio “Skiiboski” Wheeler. After his performance DeGeneres said: “You frighten me. You were like a leopard stalking us. Seriously, don’t frighten your audience, don’t get so intense. Sexy and scary – it’s a fine line.”

Simon Cowell and The Sun are working on a charity single to benefit Haiti relief and the stars are coming out of the woodwork to make sure that it has promise. Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey and Jon Bon Jovi have reportedly signed on to cover REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ joining the already announced Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis and Rod Stewart. The recording began this past weekend with Cheryl Cole, Brit band JLS, but others are still expected to get into the studio like Take That, Michael Buble, Westlife, Alexandra Burke, James Morrison, Mika and James Blunt. Simon said “It says such a lot that everyone is working so hard to help Haiti. This is something that really matters to us all, and I’m so grateful for the support we are getting.”

With the announcement that his will be his last season with American Idol, this will be the last time that all of us will get to see Simon Cowell rip a new one for losers who think they can sing. I guess America is feeling nostalgic as the ratings for the reality TV talent show sky rocketed this week, going up 33% from last year’s telecast and completely leaving every other program in the dust. Sources say that never in TV history has a show going into its ninth season pulled in such gains in ratings. Simon is definitely going out with a bang.

Simon Cowell is reportedly trying to persuade Victoria Beckham to appear as a judge on the upcoming US version of The X Factor. However, the former member of the Spice Girls is claiming to be too busy. A source said “Victoria told Simon she needs time to think about it as she is so busy with her fashion work right now. Looking at her hectic schedule, some of the dates mooted could be problematic as David is away, so she wants to work from home and look after the kids. Simon is incredibly charming so who knows. They did have a long conversation and although Victoria thinks he will be too manic to commit, she loved her time on the Idol panel.”

Simon Cowell has confirmed that British hit reality talent show The X Factor will soon be heading to the US. The perennial talent show judge said “I think the show will go to America. It has to go to America. There has to be an American version of the show. To not make The X Factor in the biggest market in the world would be crazy.” If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what The X Factor is, the show launched in the UK back in 2004 to search for the hottest new singers. The show is actually what brought us the lovely Leona Lewis.

Simon Cowell is reportedly planning to have performances from Sir Paul McCartney and George Michael in The X Factor final.

The 50-year-old music boss is also in talks with British band Coldplay about making an appearance on the upcoming final to complete the star-studded line-up.

It is claimed that he wants to make the final the biggest show yet and wants it to receive the highest-ever ratings.

Viewing figures in the current series have reached a high of 17million and Simon believes up to 20million could tune in if he signs up the three big acts.

Fellow judge Dannii Minogue, 38, is said to be keen for her act, Stacey Solomon, to perform a duet with band Coldplay in the final.

Well, well, it seems those breakdowns weren’t all of nothing… or completely unfounded. “Britain’s Got Talent” alumni Susan Boyle has apparently shot to success in the US faster than anyone could have predicted and her debut album is selling like hotcakes. Simon Cowell is probably sitting in a dark corner right now grinning like an evil genius and plotting his next move… apart from the documentary he’s going to release about Susan Boyle’s rise to fame. Hopefully, it will only be a rise and no falls involved, those breakdowns are a bad sign for Susan Boyle’s career, especially if she gains more fame than she already has.

American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest is the highest-paid reality TV host ever after signing a new $45 million deal – but judge Simon Cowell has rubbished reports he has inked a $144 million contract.

Seacrest has tripled his salary from $5 million to $15 million per season, with the new three-year deal, according to reports.

But Cowell says claims he has also sealed his own bumper new deal are “nonsense”.

He said: “I wish. Come off it. It’s absolute nonsense. Crazy, crazy nonsense.

“Speculation. Not true. Nothing has been signed yet.”

Cowell admitted he is in talks with American Idol bosses about his future.

He said: “There hasn’t been a deal done.

“We’re talking to Fox. We have a very good relationship with them.

“As to what we’re going to do ongoing over a number of different bits and pieces, we’ll see.

“We are having conversations.”

After a lot of speculation, it was announced last Wednesday that X Factor judge Dannii Minogue will be returning for the third season of the show. Kylie Minogue’s sister created a lot of tension when she expressed her jealousy over Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole stealing her thunder. There were even rumors of Dannii getting fired because she no longer served a purpose on the show. Head judge Simon Cowell was pretty determined to have Dannii on the show and the production shoved a $1.7 million contract in her face to prove their point. And when that much money is involved, who wouldn’t sign?