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Simon Cowell has reportedly been offered £88 million to appear on the next series of American Idol.
The deal is four times the £22 million he currently receives for the show and it follows fears from US network Fox that he may quit when his current contract ends next May.
American Idol, which has just finished its eighth season, regularly attracts audiences of up to 25 million in the US.
The news comes days after it was reported that The X Factor judge is setting up a new media company with Top Shop boss Sir Philip Green. The business would see Cowell take full ownership of all of his work, as opposed to just performance fees for appearing on shows such as American Idol and Britain's Got Talent.
A source told the Guardian: "He is past the old-style music deal, where you take a cut as a performer. This is about properly owning himself, Brand Cowell, everything he does, new formats, and new programmes, not just the ones starring him."
Cowell's mammoth pay increase comes at a time when other UK-based stars are facing massive cuts to their salaries. Bruce Forsyth is said to be taking a £160,000 pay cut to present the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, while the presenters on GMTV are facing cuts of up to 25 percent.
Amazingly, if Simon Cowell accepts the offer it won't actually make him the highest paid star on TV. That title belongs to Oprah Winfrey who rakes in an incredible £136 million each year.
Do you think Simon Cowell is worth £88 million? Are TV presenters overpaid or do they represent value for money? Let us know what you think...
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User comments
What an obscene amount of Money - Surely he can see he can't spend £144 million a year
Posted by: peter292 on Wed Jul 01 12:46PM | Report abuseNo, he is NOT worth that. No-one should be paid that much when other people are paid so little and so many people are out of work. The world is crazy.
Posted by: vjkirby84 on Wed Jul 01 01:19PM | Report abuseyes go on simon u r great xx
Posted by: fluffypants_austin on Wed Jul 01 01:52PM | Report abuseIf you can get it Simon - go for it! Greed is good - we would all take it if we got the oportunity
Posted by: nigel_crisp on Wed Jul 01 01:52PM | Report abuseOh of course he deserves it ,if it was not fof him the t.v would be so crap. i think he works very hard for his money so why not give it to him.
Posted by: pauline089 on Wed Jul 01 01:52PM | Report abuseno, not with all the starving people in the world
Posted by: rose.weston on Wed Jul 01 01:53PM | Report abuseI don't think anybody is worth that sum!
Posted by: cliffanglia on Wed Jul 01 01:53PM | Report abusewould he ever manage on the dole if he was ever unemployed and didnt have any savings or assets left
Posted by: sioux1ok on Wed Jul 01 01:53PM | Report abuseThis bloke doesn't unearth diamonds, he digs up plastic. He then proceeds to polish it.
Posted by: andrewwestwood123 on Wed Jul 01 01:53PM | Report abuseHow can he paid £88MM for just opening his mouth?
Posted by: aeduek on Wed Jul 01 01:53PM | Report abuse