There's an amazing article in today's Metro in which singer Zarif — who was signed to Sony a couple of years ago but dropped along with half the roster last year — tells this story about Simon Cowell.
"We were at a Louis Vuitton party and I decided to try my luck. I went up to Simon and chatted him up and said I wanted him to hear my music. He asked me to come on X Factor and I said, 'no way'. He asked why and I told him those shows ruin music."
OH JESUS CHRIST. So you approach Simon Cowell (Simon Cowell) hoping for a record deal, but turn your nose up at reality TV? That's like ramraiding Greggs then complaining when you get a donut stuck under your windscreen wiper.
This bit is good as well.
"I was totally shocked when he told me he thought I was more intelligent than half the people he has to work with."
Okay so it seems that what has happened here is:
1. Simon Cowell's method of politely but firmly declining the opportunity to sign Zarif was to suggest that she auditioned for The X Factor. We are not really sure if this counts as Zarif snubbing Simon Cowell.
2. Simon Cowell subsequently did that thing he always does when you meet him which is to flatter you into thinking he thinks you are amazing so you go a bit wobbly but what it seems he actually said was basically "you are intelligent not to audition for The X Factor" which, really, isn't necessarily a glowing endorsement of someone's talents.
The End.
(Having said all this Zarif's really not all that bad — some of the tunes on her MySpace are on the right side of listenable.)