Simon Cowell said yesterday he just didn’t want viewers to get sick of him, and that’s why he decided not to do both “American Idol” and his new “The X Factor.”
The soon-to-be-former “Idol” judge had originally planned to bring his UK hit “The X Factor” to America next season, and do double-duty TV.
But even Cowell, his raging ego in check, admitted he couldn’t bear to eyeball himself twice on American TV sets.
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“You know about over-exposure, right?” Cowell said, in a playful jab at Ryan Seacrest, during the “Idol” host’s day job on a Los Angeles radio station.
“You can’t be on TV too much.”
The star of Fox’s ratings monster announced Monday he’s making this ninth season of “Idol” his last.
Cowell will throw his efforts into bringing his talent show, “The X Factor” to the states in 2010-11.
“I think you got to know when it’s time to go. I had always wanted to bring this other show over here and at one point I was going to do both shows,” Cowell said.
“[But] I genuinely thought people would be sick and tired of me, so it was all agreed [to leave ‘Idol’] in the last few days.”
Now “Idol” producers have the daunting challenge of replacing Cowell, who draws millions of viewers hanging on every biting, nasty, cutting comment he makes to the wannabe recording stars.
Former British newspaper editor Piers Morgan, who plays that kind of heavy role on Cowell’s “America’s Got Talent,” said he’s not interested in the “Idol” job.
“I do ‘America’s Got Talent,’ so it’s not going to happen,” Morgan told the Today show.
“But it’s nice to be the favorite.”
Cowell has hinted he’d like to sign up former “Idol” judge Paula Abdul — who left this off-season after a nasty contract dispute with producers — for “X.”
The acid-tongued Brit boasted his phone has been ringing off the hook with entertainers begging to be on “X.”
“Ever since we made the announcement, everyone has been on the phone putting themselves forward,” Cowell crowed.
“Idol” kicked off the season last night with a two-hour show, focusing on good, bad and ugly contestants from Boston.
Highlights from “Idol’s” Atlanta auditions will air tonight.
Seacrest said he’ll treasure this upcoming season, knowing it’ll be the last with its star judge Cowell: “I think this year is going to be bittersweet.”
“We just gotta to make it a big year, haven’t we?” Cowell added.