Idol Rich - Simon Cowell On Britney Spears & Robbie Williams

SIMON Cowell, American Idol’s resident English baddie – a shorter Alan Rickman in high-waisted trousers - is talking over matters Robbie Williams and Britney Spears.

“It’s very fashionable to be in rehab,” says Cowell in the Mirror. “This whole thing is a total indulgence.”

So Cowell, worth a reported £90million, is thinking of joining the rehab cult? No. “Britney and Robbie need to get a grip,” he adds.

Cowell says Spears should go back to live with her mum for six months. He prescribes a short, sharp shock.

“I went to a deprived part of the world recently and I saw a set of conditions that people live in that are beyond belief,” says Cowell, pictured seated by the swimming pool at his eight-bedroom Beverly Hills office.

Cowell declines to name the location but it is known that he spends some of his time in the UK, and we understand what he means.

He says the trip opened his eyes. “I would make it compulsory that they have to go and live in a developing country for a couple of weeks,” says he. “I’ll tell you what rehab is.” says Cowell. “Go to where I just went, where people really are suffering and then you’ll see how good life is.”

Cowell should note that Britney has toured in Rio de Janeiro and Williams, a native of Stoke-on-Trent, has travelled widely from Scotland to some of the more remote German stadia and Denmark.

Cowell speaks his mind. But, of course, there is nothing new in bashing Williams. It was Liam Gallagher who told us: “What’s his f***in’ problem, man? “We all know what it is - he’s a f***in’ drama f***in’ queen. If you’ve got a f***in’ problem, why do you want the whole world knowing about it? He has to be on the front f***in’ pages, doesn’t he? Just sort your f***in’ self out. You make a f***in’ crap album then want everyone to feel f***in’ sorry for you. “F***in’ tosser!”

Cowell agrees. “I’ve heard Rudebox and it’s terrible,” he says of Williams’ most recent album. “If it was by anyone else it wouldn’t have been released.”

But while the fading pop idols bounce off the padded walls and tell of the pain and the turmoil to people paid to listen, Cowell introduces us to the future. It’s Leona Lewis, the winner on Cowell’s X Factor TV show. It’s Ray Quinn, who finished as the show’s runner up.

And we begin to feel a little empathy for Williams and Spears. We begin to feel their depression…

Anorak

Posted: 5th, March 2007 | In: Tabloids Comment (1) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink