Simon Cowell's ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour has destroyed the American Idol star's Mr. Nasty reputation by revealing he loves nothing more than watching kids' cartoons.

The music mogul regularly berates wannabe singers on TV talent contests including Britain's The X Factor but Seymour, who broke up with Cowell last year, insists the 49 year old is really a softie at heart, plopping down in front of the TV to catch up on The Flintstones and The Jetsons.

She says, "I watch The X Factor, of course. It was terrible when Simon Cowell and I were together because we had opposite TV tastes. He'd complain about what I was watching and then switch on Tweety. He just loves cartoons."