Thursday, 26 March 2009

• Prev
• Next

SEE VIDEO Simon Cowell claims Prince Philip called him a sponger

The X Factor judge says The Queen ignored him too

Simon Cowell presents Britain's Got Talent, American Idol and The X Factor

Simon Cowell claims Prince Philip branded him a 'sponger' at the Royal Variety Performance.

The X Factor judge met The Queen and The Duke Of Edinburgh, 87, in December 2007 when he was introducing them to Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts, 38.

'The Queen ignored me and her husband called me a sponger,' Simon, 49, told The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. 'It was a bit embarrassing.'

And Piers Morgan, 43, has backed up Simon's story in his autobiography.

'Prince Philip asked, "You're judges, is that right?" I replied, "Yes, sir",’ he writes. ‘He chuckled, looking back at Cowell before pointing to Paul Potts, "You sponge off him, then?"'

But Buckingham Palace flatly denied the claims.

'The Duke Of Edinburgh has said he does not know enough about Mr Cowell to make any sort of comment about him,' says a spokesman.

'Mr Cowell may have misheard the Duke. He has a very soft voice. The Queen doesn't ignore people.

'Indeed there is a photograph of The Queen shaking hands with Mr Cowell and saying hello, so we are puzzled that he felt he was ignored.'

SEE VIDEO Simon Cowell talks about Prince Philip allegedly snubbing him>>