Simon Cowell On Britney Spears: ‘I Think She Was In Awe Of Me’

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FIRST PUBLISHED: December 2, 2008 10:22 PM EST
LAST UPDATED: December 3, 2008 8:21 AM EST

LONDON, U.K. --

Simon Cowell has claimed he mesmerized Britney Spears during her recent visit to his UK reality talent show, “X-Factor.”

“This may be a bit egotistical… I think she was in awe of me,” Simon told Britain’s Mirror newspaper.

And Simon, who is gearing up for Season 8 of “American Idol,” said there was more to their encounter.

“She was just staring at me. I said, ‘Touch me, I’m human,’ and I think that broke the ice,” he added.

While Britney can stare all she likes, one journalist has been warned to keep his distance from the judge.

According to the UK’s Guardian newspaper, lawyers for Simon have sent warning letters to national newspapers across Britain, after a tracking device was allegedly found on the judge’s car in the UK. Though many publications received the letter, Simon’s publicist, Max Clifford told the Guardian that they are aware of the alleged tracking device culprit.

“We know who he is and we have marked his card and told him to never do anything like that again,” Clifford said.

“Simon has been putting up with this for seven years, with people approaching him at all hours and we know that we have got to have working relationships with the papers but within acceptable boundaries,” he added.

And it appears Simon may be setting some boundaries his personal life too. He told Britain’s The Sun he might not return to the UK’s “X-Factor.”

“I’m definitely not retiring but I am going to make a couple of changes,” he said.

“The contracts are all up at the end of next year and what I may well do is stop actually being on TV. Give up the panel,” he added.

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