'What I didn't know was that it was going to be as competitive as it was. Having said that, it was good to take a break here and then come back again.'
And Simon is excited by the prospect of returning to The X Factor UK after the success of his last series in 2010, in which he discovered One Direction.
He enthused: 'The X Factor UK, I've always said it's kind of like my baby. I love doing the show. It has found some amazing people.
'I want to go back to where we left off in 2010 … if we do another year like that it'll be amazing.'
