SIMON Cowell is already plotting next year's A-list guest stars for the X Factor - and first on his wish list is David Bowie.

The music mogul - who has barely rolled out his beach towel on holiday in Barbados - said credible singers such as the Ziggy Stardust star would stop the show going stale.

Cowell said: "I'm thinking we should do something for David Bowie. I think that would be good. Just because he's a great songwriter."

He added that an indie music night was a "possibility" after alt-rocker contestant Jamie Archer helped to pull in the viewers.

And Cowell confirmed he had asked Eminem to be a guest judge after the rapper said he and legendary producer Dr Dre would be ideal for the show.

Cowell said: "I'd love to have them on as guest judges on a theme which would make them comfortable.

"I've extended the invitation to Eminem already. What did he say? I don't know yet."

But there is little chance of much punk rock featuring any time soon.

Cowell revealed he had a bad experience at a Stranglers gig as a youngster - as everyone was SPITTING.

He said: "That's all they did. The minute you walked in they spat at you. I remember thinking I couldn't think of a worse way, genuinely, to spend a night."


Despite the planned changes, Cowell told NME magazine that the X Factor shouldn't get too serious.

He said: "Once the show starts to take itself too seriously then it puts everyone off. There has to be a sense of humour in it and it is what it is. It's just a bit of fun.

We went through a period, certainly in the last 10 years, when everything for me became too cynical and sniffy, as if the world is being run by so-called tastemakers and I don't like that."

Cowell defended himself against a charge from singer La Roux that he was responsible for "ruining the music industry".

And he lashed out at "snobs" who have criticised his TV show music acts.

He said: "I'm not sure who has the right to say that you have better taste than somebody else, because essentially what you're doing is calling millions of people morons."

He said he had tried to watch Jools Holland's BBC2 music show and had to turn it OFF.

Cowell said: "I looked at the show the other night and I lasted 20 seconds. I just didn't like the look of it.

"I looked at the acts, listened to the songs and just didn't get it. But there are people who do like it, so I would never scream at him, 'Take your show off the air, you're destroying the business!'

"It's more like, good luck to him."

He said that The X Factor had actually helped the British music industry as it got more people into record stores.

He added that he still hadn't heard from Leonard Cohen after he chose his song Hallelujah for the X Factor winner's song last year. He said: "I would have liked to have heard from him."



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