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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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Poeple are dying worldwide and this @#$% is paid £88Mn ... what is this guys claim to fame by the way .. other than being rude to people .. why is he so great in the music business ??
Posted by: vishal_snarang on Wed Jul 01 01:59PM | Report abuseWhy does'nt Simon Cowell clear off the America for good. TV presenters are certainly overpaid & for what, also I notice although women presenters are overpaid they are on far less than the men - its all wrong. I as pension get £104 per week to live on, although paying stamp & paying into private pension, they are as greedy as the politicians!!! get rid of them all!!!
Posted by: ednacrees on Wed Jul 01 02:00PM | Report abuseThis Is just Crazy Money! He Has Enough Money Now. I Dont Think He Is Really Bovard Bout The Money! He Just Wants To Be Doing Something That He Enjoys Doing!
Posted by: shraine_singh on Wed Jul 01 02:00PM | Report abuseNO ONE BUT NO ONE IS WORTH THAT SORT OF MONEY. ITS ABOUT TIME PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA WORLD CAME BACK DOWN TO EARTH AND GET SOME REALITY INTO THIER LIVES.
Posted by: fmgorgon on Wed Jul 01 02:00PM | Report abuseCould he save a life, perform delicate surgery, teach handicapped kids? I think not. He's just vastly overpaid for doing nothing, like most presenters are. But as long as TV companies are prepared to pay the money, he'll be prepared to take it whilst contributing absolutely nothing to society.
Posted by: maliblues90 on Wed Jul 01 02:00PM | Report abuseits obscene, who needs that much money. Im sure he could live on £1 million a year. Ive worked all my life, for over 50 yrs. Add all my wages up and it still does not come to a £million.
Posted by: leonard177 on Wed Jul 01 02:00PM | Report abuseno one is worth 88million. i dont care if he works his socks of 24hours a day. share the wealth. i work my socks of 24hours a day seven days a week as a mum. i get 400pound a month pay (from my fiancee) im sorry but no one is worth that. all these people are just greedy. they proabably dont even know how to spend all that money
Posted by: mummyspam1985 on Wed Jul 01 02:01PM | Report abuseSimon Cowell has never worked with a credible band. His track record is Telly tubbies and Robson and Jerome. He's never worked with the Beatles, Bowie or anyone worth mentioning. He's part of the reason why music is so poor today. He's a total jerk and should be put down.
Posted by: pete.mastering on Wed Jul 01 02:01PM | Report abuseNo-one deserves this kind of money, but hey, if they going to give it to you, why turn it down!!!!!
Posted by: zaz_01 on Wed Jul 01 02:02PM | Report abuseHow can anybody be worth that amount? Maybe some of the TV companies should think about reducing the cost of their programmes in these times. It is indecent when we are still talking of a so call reduction of the world economy that somebody who actually gives so little back to society steals so much from it. I hope everybody will stop speanding their money in Philip Green's BHS stores. I'm glad I still only use Freeview and freesat and don't have to pay out to sky etc. to lavish wealth on such people.
Posted by: steve.mogridge on Wed Jul 01 02:02PM | Report abuse