Simon Cowell

She's been mocked endlessly on the Internet, but Rebecca Black has a major fan in... Simon Cowell?!?

Yes, the formerly harsh American Idol judge and world famous record producer says he's a big fan of this 13-year old, who has endured one hateful comment after another from anyone who has listened to the single "Friday."

Rebecca Black Unplugged

"I love her [and] the fact that she's gotten so much publicity," Cowell tells People. "People are so upset about the song, but I think it's hysterical... I want to meet her. Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet. I love people like that."

Simon has other business on the mind these days, too: he's bringing The X Factor to Fox in the fall and will soon be announcing stars to join L.A. Reid on the judges' table.

Might Simon Cowell have discovered the female version of Justin Bieber?

While the music mogul typically uses his reality show forums to find the next big superstar - coming this fall, X Factor! - he was reportedly so impressed with a 10-year old named Heather Russell that he offered her a contract solely based on a couple YouTube videos.

"Simon just loved her," said a source at Cowell's record label. "He said she was amazingly-talented from the first time he saw her."

Russell hails from Canada and writes her own songs. Listen to one here:

Heather Russell - Every Step of the Way

It won't premiere until the fall, but Fox is already starting to push The X Factor.

A commercial aired for the upcoming competition during Super Bowl XLV, and producer Simon Cowell took part in a conference call with reporters yesterday, talking to us about the show's massive grand prize, among other topics.

On the $5 million prize: "The money rightly puts an enormous amount of pressure on people... it's a massive, massive risk. But it's also an incredible incentive."

Might Paula Abdul judge? "I'm a massive fan of Paula's. When you work with somebody as long as I did with Paula... we were friends 80 percent of the time and interestingly, we've been in contact (after 'Idol'). I'm not going to say on this call who we are going to confirm or not confirm, but we're talking to a number of people."

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Simon Cowell is not exactly a man who specializes in subtlety.

The former American Idol judge returned to the airways during Super Bowl XLV with a commercial that didn't merely announce, "He's Back." It did so in grand, god-like fashion.

Cowell then revealed plans to award the winner of this fall's The X Factor with the biggest cash prize in reality show history: $5 million.

The X Factor Preview

Speaking on the difference between The X Factor and Idol, Simon said in a statement today:

“I like the idea that a 12-year-old on this show can compete with an older singer and a singing group. I’ve never believed there should be a cut-off age for talent, and we are going to put our money where our mouths are with the $5 million recording contract. I’m doing this show in America because I genuinely believe we can find a superstar.”

The Hoff is taking off.

David Hasselhoff, who was let go from America's Got Talent last season in favor of Howie Mandell, has signed on to replace Simon Cowell on the British version of this reality competition.

"David is super excited about the move [to England]," an insider tells Pop Eater. "He's in London over the holidays going theater and looking at apartments for when he moves full-time early next year."

Things are looking good for Hasselhoff these days, as his family's reality show premiered on A&E last week.

"It's a brand-new start for David and he couldn't be more exited," says a friend. "His new reality show is bound to be a hit and now he is returning to TV in the show that found Susan Boyle. What could be bigger than that?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing could be bigger than that.

He's already a reality show judge and record producer. But Simon Cowell is looking to add another title to his resume: wedding planner.

Speaking to Extra, Cowell offered up an idea for who should sing at the royal nuptials between Prince William and Kate Middleton.

"Susan Boyle would be perfect," said the former American Idol panelist, adding that Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream" would be the ideal wedding song for the pair.

As the world knows by now, William and Kate got engaged last month and have scheduled their exchanging of vows to take place at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Billions are expected to watch on television.

Would Boyle be able to handle that pressure? Do you think she'd made a good choice to sing at the reception?

We already know Robert Pattinson can act, and look extremely handsome.

But did you know the Twilight Saga star can also sing? It's true, but if Pattinson is ever going to release an album, he recently said it would not be under Simon Cowell's guidance.

"He is a clever guy, and he's created artists that he knows the public will like," E! News quotes Rob as saying to Great Britain's The Sun, an unreliable source. "That's why I don't think he could ever launch my music career."

In other words: the man who made Edward Cullen come to life doesn't think his music would catch on.

"I don't think many other people would like it," he says. "I see myself playing in a rundown blues bar, with about three people drowning their sorrows. I play according to my mood, and sometimes that can come across as very depressing in music."

** UPDATE: Rob's manager says this story is untrue, labeling it as just "another headline generated by the Internet."

While American Idol fans across the country worry about whether or not Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler can really fill the void left by Simon Cowell, there's at least one man who's happy that British producer is gone from the judging table:

Nigel Lythgoe.

Lythgoe, who returns this season to take charge of the Fox smash, says the new edition of Idol will feature contestants Cowell never would have let through.

"We've had some incredible country voices. In truth, Simon would have gotten rid of them straight-away because he wasn't a country fan... What you are definitely going to get this season is an American voice and American music."

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In honor of Simon Cowell turning 51 today, we ask readers to refrain from sending birthday wishes and instead make a heartfelt plea to the music guru:

Return to American Idol! Please!

Jennifer Lopez actually might fit in well on the judging panel, and Steven Tyler could be entertaining. But Simon made this show and will be missed incredibly on season 10. At least fans can still watch him on X-Factor. Below, we honor the most honest man in the business with a photo montage:

Another American Idol alum celebrates a birthday today: Taylor Hicks is 43. He could use your best wishes.

The dreams of Simon Cowell are about to come true.

No, he won't be tar and feathering Ryan Seacrest.

Instead, the American Idol judge will be staging World's Got Talent some time in 2011, a reality show that will bring together a number of acts from across the globe.

The event will be held at London's Royal Albert Hall, as sources say Simon has wanted to do the competition since 2007, when Britain's Got Talent first aired.

"This has been Simon's dream. It will be the biggest reality show the world's seen," said an insider.

The most well-known act to come out of Britain Got Talent, of course, is Susan Boyle. She's sold millions of albums worldwide. Winners from similar shows around the world have included opera singers, contortionists, circus performers and dance groups.