Simon Cowell to quit American Idol?

Simon Cowell has hinted that he may quit the show that made his fortune, American Idol, when his contract expires in two years, reports Entertainment Weekly.

"The public eventually are gonna get sick to death of me," he said. "Nine years is probably enough to inflict on anyone. Can the show exist without me? Absolutely. It would probably get better."

The X Factor creator Simon also reportedly commented on the news that three American Idol stars, Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, and Katharine McPhee no longer have record deals.

"It's a reflection on the unpredictability of the record business," he apparently said. "Fortunately, we got it right more than we got it wrong.

"There's no scientific way to explain what happens. It's a reality show and what happens at the end is also reality."

And it seems he remarked on the lacklustre sales of last year's winner Jordin Sparks and runner-up Blake Lewis.

"Naturally, I'm disappointed that they didn't sell more copies or that neither artist has caught on fire," he is quoted as saying.

"What you want is a Carrie Underwood, Daughtry or Kelly Clarkson, where they're competing with the Mariahs. It didn't happen. Am I surprised? Not particularly. The public decided it's not necessarily what they wanted, so we have to try to do better this year."