Comedian Harry Hill has revealed that Simon Cowell has shunned him since the failure of their joint venture, The X Factor musical tribute, I Can’t Sing.
The 53-year-old has told the Mirror, that after ignoring requests by Simon to change the character that portrays the record company boss, the pair haven’t spoken.
Harry said: “He sent me an email after he came to one of the previews and the email said some very good points about lighting and sound because he is a good producer.
“But he added ‘However, I feel my character, the character of Simon Cowell, is made to look a bit of an idiot’. And I thought ‘uh-oh’.”
But instead of doing what the music mogul had requested, the comic ignored him.
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He said: “I just ignored them. I thought that was the best bet.”
He went on, “It is fine – I haven’t heard from him since.”
The show was staged at the London Palladium, home to some of the biggest stage shows around, and lasted just under two months.
It told the story of a young woman who lived in a caravan with a talking dog but went on to find fame on the TV show.
At the time of the musical’s release, Simon joked in an interview that it would have to last longer than the Spice Girls stage show to be considered a success after Viva Forever! ran for seven months and was deemed a flop.
Asked what would count as a success, he joked: “Seven months and a day,” before adding: “I’m not au fait with the numbers.
He added: “From day one there was a cloud over that musical. The critics had a field day.
“You’ve got to be confident in what you do, otherwise you’d be paralysed. I’ve always thought if I like something then other people will like it.”
Cowell went on, “It’s bloody risky, but so is making the TV show.”
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Harry, whose new TV show, Tea Time, starts on January 2, completely blames himself for the failure of the musical, after admitting that the show was thought up after a couple of bevvies.
He admitted: “It was all my fault in many ways. It was an odd thing because me and Steve Brown, who wrote the music, had the idea.”
“I was in front of the X Factor final and I had a few drinks and I thought, ‘This is it – X Factor the musical’.
“I managed to get through to Simon Cowell and suddenly we were in his office pitching this idea and he says, ‘Yes, what do we have to do? I am giving you the green light – you are coming to London’.
“And then me and Steve stumble outside and think, ‘What are we going to do now? We have to write it’.”