He's the svengali to the stars who sits in Andy Murray's VIP box, masterminded the Spice Girls and turned Pop Idol into a £15 billion global brand. Now Simon Fuller is plotting to outmanoeuvre his great rival, Simon Cowell, by buying EMI's assets, including the famous Parlophone music label, in an audacious £350 million deal.

If Randy Jackson yells "Yo Dawg!" during the next season of "American Idol," he could be talking to Snoop Dogg, if the rapper has his way.

The low-down on today's newsworthy names

Mariah Carey will join "American Idol" as a judge next season, Fox has announced, bringing her star power to the show that remains a ratings leader but has seen its viewership and pop culture status diminish.

The X Factor became the axe factor when 60 contestants were dumped from the show's boot camp section before they had the chance to sing.

N-Dubz star Dappy has apologised after the video for his latest song featured a call for the killer of headteacher Philip Lawrence to be freed.

Saudi Arabian starlets hoping the latest spin-off of the popular Got Talent franchise will launch their careers are likely to be disappointed, with both women and music strictly banned from proceedings.

Star billing might have gone to Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Robbie Williams at Monday's concert, but it was the women who really stole the show. What really lit up the stage was the sight of Grace Jones, 64, gyrating across it, irreverent and shameless, sassy and other-worldly, as she performed "Slave to the Rhythm". And Shirley Bassey, 75, belting out "Diamonds are Forever" with much more gusto now that she buys them with a pension than she ever did before.

The nation's favourite talent show closes with a £500,000 victory for 17-year-old Ashleigh Butler and her dog

The Week In Books

Another week, another scandal in Simon Cowell's empire. Whenever you think it might be losing its lustre, up comes something that catapaults it back into the national conversation.

Simon Cowell is giving his ex-fiancee Mezhgan Hussainy a £5 million gift following the end of their stormy relationship, according to reports.

ITV admits defeat in Saturday night duel with The Voice as Britain's Got Talent moves to later slot

Could One Direction be forced into a dramatic U-turn? The British boyband taking the world by storm has run into a roadblock after a small Californian band slapped them with a multi-million dollar lawsuit. That band’s name? One Direction.