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Simon Cowell recently spent £4,000 on strippers 'just to talk' (Getty Images)

According to a red-top newspaper last weekend, Simon Cowell recently spent £4,000 on strippers at Stringfellow's nightclub in London. Instead of private dances, however, it's reported he paid the girls "just to talk".

It's easy to smirk, but perhaps we are doing Cowell a disservice. Maybe he's the William Gladstone of the modern age, using his influence and popularity to save women from potentially degrading employment. Either that or expect to see Nude Idol next year.