Cowell drinks into the early hours 'to get good ideas'
Simon Cowell claims his best TV ideas come after he's been drinking.
The 'X Factor' boss admits he likes to drink in the early hours of the morning to help spark his creativity but says comedian Harry Hill, who wrote his 'X Factor' musical 'I Can't Sing!', isn't impressed by his lifestyle choice.
He told the Radio Times magazine: "Harry trained as a doctor, he doesn't like my theory that although I smoke and drink, I take supplements, so I'll be all right.
"If I tried to cut out cigarettes completely, I would have a real problem: too boring. It's the same with drinking."
Simon insists he's "pretty good" at cutting back when he needs to but claims he enjoys drinking because it puts him in a “calm place”.
He continued: "I have this expression, 'You never eat Indian food for breakfast'. I always think there is a time in your day when you can be creative.
"For me, [at] one or two in the morning, couple of vodka and limes, couple of cigarettes, I'm in a calm place: I can think. I always say, 'One good idea a year can pay for your next ten years'. And that's all you need to do."
The 54-year-old, who was photographed topless on holiday with girlfriend Lauren Silverman and new baby, Eric, who was born on Valentine's Day (14.02.14), thinks he's in good shape.
Talking about the photographs, he joked: "Yeah, not too shabby, eh?"
Meanwhile, despite previews for the new musical having been postponed for the second time, after producers claimed they were having "technical problems", Simon is convinced it will be a success.
He said: "It's bloody risky, but so is making the TV show.
"Every new season you go in with the highest hopes, and sometimes you get a bum year.
"You wait for those numbers to come in, oh my God it's stressful, and it's a delicious thrill."
