Simon Cowell is leaving the American Idol ....

There's a bit of news lurking around the American Idol neighbourhood that Simon Cowell is quitting the show. Hold it! Hold it! The punchline is YES! but in three years' time when Cowell hits the big 50.

I believe, as many others do, he's 47 right now. Simon told people at London's Mirror that there will come a time when people in general will be sick and tired of him, and that will come 36 months from now.

Apparently, he is shutting his trap in front of the camera for good and concentrate on his TV and music business. That fateful year is 2010.

Simon is quite upfront about the whole affair. He told The Mirror:
"I have three more seasons under contract with American Idol and that will be it. And it will probably come at the same time in the UK.

I am contracted for another two or three seasons in Britain and I think by that point the public will be sick to death of me anyway and it will be time to go."

In other words, he will be giving up American Idol and Britain's X-Factor show. For a person who is worth about 100 million pounds, that is an easy decision. He obviously has greener fields to conquer.

Simon leapt into the bright limelight back in 2001 when he surfaced to capture the world's attention in UK's Pop Idol.

Since then, he has not looked back, even though those who were at the receiving end of his verbal barbs stared daggers at him all the time.

To show that he meant what he had said, Simon put on record that "I run a record label, I run a TV company, we're making movies now - I love that part of my life.

I probably get more satisfaction from making a show than being on a show.

"I've been lucky, but I also know when not to outstay my welcome."

Good for you, old chap. Well, may be not that old but certainly jolly good and smart, too!
Lately, Simon Cowell has been singing praises of third season X-Factor winner Leona Lewis.

Miss Lewis is a former waitress but Simon is so impressed with her that he has already proclaimed that she will be the most successful of her two X-Factor predecessors Steve Brookstein and Shayne Ward.

I know many of you out there don't know who this Leona Lewis is. That's because X-Factor has not shown up in most of our shores.

Perhaps it will but that depends on local TV networks and their budgets.

For a TV show that has attracted nearly 400,000 people (375,00 to be exact) over four years, it is certainly surprising that many of us in Malaysia have not heard of it.

But never mind, Simon is still crying all the way to his banks!

Just in case, you think may be, just may be that Simon could be settling down in the years to come - never fear - NEVER is the word.

According to Simon, he has just bought his girlfriend Terri Seymour a Jaguar. Much better than a lousy bunch of flowers, in his words.

Yes, yes, he's not the romantic kind but who cares, a Jag lasts longer than a bouquet. Don't you agree?