I grew up when the whole Motown thing was huge. The charts in those days were dominated by groups more than solo artists at one point.

Thank God kids love following an artist. When you get a group who pop, it's the best thing in the world.

When I look at it now, the whole punk thing is sort of comedy in a weird way.

I like to know why a video has suddenly gone viral, why a song has broken, why a TV show is suddenly rating out of pattern... I'm pretty good at understanding why things are becoming popular.

I'm going to give all my money away, eventually. I don't believe in all this hand-down stuff. Even if I had kids, I don't think I'd want to give them everything.

There's no need for me to get married. I live with someone; we're happy; end of story.

Anyone who goes on 'The X Factor' to make big money will be in for a big shock.

It's not my habit to kiss and tell. I've never done it.

I think that by ignoring the show you're ignoring the audience who put you there.

The young people working for me are ambitious and hard-working. That work ethic has always been a trait of the British.

Anyone who complains about invasion of privacy shouldn't work in the entertainment business. You can't have it both ways. It's as simple as that.

I LOVE ONE DIRECTION!!!!!!!!!!!

I have always hated celebrities lecturing people on politics. So forgive me. But I am passionate about this country. I am equally passionate about the potential of the people who live here.

I didn't have any qualifications when I left school - I had three O-levels.

I don't have sophisticated tastes. I have average tastes. If you looked in my collection of DVDs, you'd see 'Jaws' and 'Star Wars.' In the book library, you'd see John Grisham and Sidney Sheldon. And if you look in my fridge, it's, like, children's food - chips, milkshakes, yogurt.

Sometimes when you have a record out, you think you're going to go in at No. 1 but you go in at No. 8. So your second record has to be better. That's how I treat it.

My proudest achievement has been the success of the shows and artists I have been involved with, because they were made in Britain.

My attitude is, if someone’s going to criticize me, tell me to my face.

When I think of invention, I always think of America. You're always seeing ads: 'Have you got the next big idea?' There seems to be that spirit in America of inventions and inventors.

The minute you start assuming that the audience is very happy to see the same show again, you're dead.

If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention.

Everyone who turns up on 'X Factor' does it because a door has been closed to them at some time in their lives, and this is the only shot they have got.

I think you have to judge everything based on your personal taste. And if that means being critical, so be it. I hate political correctness. I absolutely loathe it.

I'm not that musical. I don't really know how a record is produced, and, funnily enough, I don't want to.