Cowell donates $80,000 for London riot victims

Music mogul Simon Cowell has donated $80,000 for those affected by the London riots.
The civil unrest began in London Aug 6 and soon spread across the country. Rioters attacked city centres, smashed windows, looted shops and torched buildings as a result hundreds of businesses have been forced to shut up shop in order to repair the damage.

Britain's Express Newspapers group has established a special fund for riot victims as part of the Reclaim Our Streets crusade and Cowell has contributed to that.

"A lot of families and businesses desperately need some help right now and I back any campaign which achieves this," contactmusic.com quoted Cowell as saying.

Simon Cowell planning 1million pounds-prize show in UK

Simon Cowell is reportedly planning the "biggest, noisiest and most expensive" television show in UK history with a jackpot price of 1million pounds.

And his ‘Red And Black’ show, which will be screened live by ITV1 later this year, will be so big that it will be held in a giant 17,000-seater arena.

Thousands of hopefuls will pack into Wembley Arena or London’s O2, competing for the chance to win a one million pounds jackpot on the spin of a roulette wheel.

Red And Black has been created by Simon’s Syco company, along with ITV and will be fronted by Ant and Dec, both 35.

Sources claim the show would start out with hundreds of thousands of entrants being whittled down to around 17,000 who will then be given tickets to the show at the massive arena venue.

Each evening during the course of a week of live broadcasting in September, the hopefuls will be cut down, until just one person is left with the chance of spinning for the jackpot.

“Simon is very excited about this programme. It will be easily the biggest show ever seen on British television,” the Daily Star quoted an insider as saying.

“He has been working on the concept for some time and at last everything has fallen into place and the show is good to go. It is massive in the number of contests and also the huge prize on offer on the spin of a roulette wheel – a 1m pounds fortune resting on whether someone chooses either red or black. Details are still being worked out on how people will be chosen for the arena section, but it is likely to involve some form of competition.

“We’ve never seen anything like Red And Black in the UK before. It is going to be big, noisy and expensive, a real telly event.

“It is not only a massive gamble for the contestant, but also for Simon and ITV, but they are confident it will be a big hit,” the insider added.

Will Simon Cowell Convert to Islam to Marry Mezhgan?

If the latest Hollywood gossip is to be believed, Simon Cowell’s girlfriend Mezhgan Hussainy`s family wants him to convert to Islam before their marriage, says a report.
The “American Idol” judge had proposed to Hussainy last week.
“They`re very westernised, but no one in their family has ever married a non-Muslim – and they`re not willing for their youngest daughter to become the first,” digitalspy.co.uk quoted a source as saying about Hussainy`s parents Mary and Sayed.
Reportedly, Hussainy`s sister-in-law Erlene Garcia was also asked to convert before marrying her brother Wahid.
According to Hussainy`s friend, “Mezhgan is very reluctant about asking Simon to convert…and she knows how controversial it will be.”
“Simon might be a big deal in the UK, but there are other people in the Afghan community in Los Angeles who her parents will be more afraid of offending. It would bring shame on their family and community if Simon did not respect their beliefs,” the friend added.

Simon Cowell 'facing tribunal claim'

Simon Cowell is facing legal action after a former Britain's Got Talent contestant launched an employment tribunal claim against him.

Emma Czikai, who suffers from cervical spine neuritis, auditioned for the show in 2009 but failed to impress the judges with her rendition of 'You Raise Me Up', reports BBC News.

Czikai claimed that she was made to wait outside in the cold until 10pm before she auditioned. "That traps the nerves, so immediately that aggravates the condition. It's almost as if they wanted me to fail," she said.

After asking for her audition not to be aired due to the unfair conditions, she was invited onto ITV2 spinoff show Britain's Got More Talent, where it was agreed that her illness would be highlighted. However, producers allegedly did not do this and made her look like a "fool".

A pre-hearing review when a judge will decide whether the claims should go to court will take place next month.

Cowell, who was in Glasgow today for the first X Factor auditions, has yet to comment on the case.

Simon Cowell's mother was left stunned at his 50th birthday party by the sex shows put on for the guests.

The music mogul celebrated reaching the landmark age with a star-studded bash at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire, England, and entertainment included a raunchy cabaret act involving sex toys.
Julie Cowell, 82, and her priest friend sat there opened mouthed when one entertainer appeared on stage dressed as a woman's private parts, before pretending to use an assortment of aids.
Simon's friend and publicist Max Clifford told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "It was a brilliant party, some parts of it had an outrageously camp theme.
"The funniest thing was seeing Simon trying to explain to his mum, who was there with a priest and some of her friends from church. She asked what it was and he told her it was a sideways mouth and a toothbrush but it was very suggestive and it was very clear what it was supposed to be."
Other guests at the £2 million bash included Kate Moss, Simon's 'X Factor' judges Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue and his ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour.
Revellers were treated to a lavish meal and £220,000 was spent on wine.
Instead of presents, Simon asked his family and friends to donate money to children's hospice charity Chase.