Simon Cowell: 'Britney Spears Was In Awe Of Me After X Factor'

Music mogul Simon Cowell has claimed that Britney Spears was “in awe” of him when they met after her performance on The X Factor.

Spears' appearance gave the talent show its highest ratings ever – 12.8million – despite accusations that the singer mimed through her new single 'Womanizer'.

Speaking to the Mirror, Cowell said: "This may be a bit egotistical. I think she was in awe of me.

"She was just staring at me. I said, 'Touch me, I'm human,' and I think that broke the ice."

Fans were quick to criticise Spears performance on the show, with some calling for the singer to retire from music.

But Cowell insisted that he was happy with her appearance, and said it was like have the President on the programme.

"She was terrific. Very professional. This girl's got huge star quality. You've got to hand it to her. She's a great performer,” he added.

Spears' performance ended a short whistle-stop publicity tour which also included performances in Germany and France.