Simon Cowell: I Can't Sing! is 'like my second baby'

Simon Cowell said attending tonight's world premiere of Harry Hill's X Factor spoof musical I Can't Sing! was like seeing his second baby born this year.

The music mogul - who last month became a father for the first time - is one of the show's financial backers, and his recent parenthood is reflected in its script.

Simon, who walked the red carpet at the Palladium in London with girlfriend Lauren Silverman, said: "It's like my second baby this year, it feels like that.

"It's exciting, and I never thought I'd be in this spot. I don't know much about the West End or musicals, but the very first time I saw the run-through I really, really liked the show.

"And now I've seen the Twitter reaction to the previews and the people who've seen it really love it. So I'm thrilled."

The production, which stars Nigel Harman as a Cowell-like show boss, takes an affectionate swipe at a number of figures associated with the ITV show with characters based on Cheryl Cole - who is to return to The X Factor this year - and Louis Walsh. Take That star Gary Barlow gets a nod, with a dog named after him.

Simon admitted: "It's embarrassing, but I've got a thick skin."

– Press Association

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.