[Red Moon]

SIMON: "I'M NOT RETIRING AT 50"

Simon Cowell has done a U-turn on his plans to retire after Louis Walsh slammed him for “losing the plot”.

TV’s Mr Nasty, 49, said in an interview last year that he would retire when he turns 50.

But he now insists he is going nowhere.

On this year’s live shows, Cowell has often been caught on camera looking bored.

He has also suffered the embarrassment of getting contestants’ names mixed up and mistakenly telling Alexandra Burke, 20, she had sung a Mariah Carey song during Jacko Week.

His fellow judge Louis, 56, said: “Simon’s losing the plot. Everyone thinks so.”

Now Cowell has hit back. The multi-millionaire says that he has no plans to give up.

He was quoted last year saying: “I am contracted for another two or three seasons in Britain.

“By that point the public will be sick to death of me anyway and it will be time to go.

“There has to come a point when I’ll step down from being on camera. You can’t do this forever.”

Now Cowell’s advisors say he was too hasty in his retirement prediction and claim his grumpy look is down to too much work.

His spokesman Max Clifford said last night: “Simon’s not going anywhere. He’s not quitting and he won’t retire next year.

“He’s told me he’ll go on and on and on. And so he should.

“The thing about Simon is, people want him on telly. Shows like X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol wouldn’t work if he wasn’t there.

“He is the centre of everything. He is the reason they’re such a hit.”

Max added: “If he isn’t smiling all the time it’s probably because he is overworked and has too much on his plate.

“At the moment he is juggling X Factor, American Idol, a new Il Divo album, a new Leona Lewis album and the start of Britain’s Got Talent auditions.

“And Simon is a perfectionist. If anything goes wrong he is very unhappy.

“He has many roles and many hats – far more than the other judges. Their job is easier compared to his.”

Source:Daily Star