SIMON COWELL IS PLAYBOY’S FEBRUARY INTERVIEW

Prime-time’s favorite critic, who takes center stage once again when American Idol’s sixth season premiers on January 16 opens up on his average tastes, Clay Aiken’s sexuality, and if he truly is an a**hole.

On if he views himself as an a**hole: “Well, I don’t think I am. But based on public opinion, yeah, I am. If half the people think I’m an a**hole, then I’m half an a**hole.”

On contestant's who want to be ridiculed: “Normally they want me to be rude to them. People come up to me and sing, and I say, 'That was great. Thank you.' And they’re like, 'Well, aren’t you going to be rude to me?' No. 'Well, can you be rude to me?' No! When I miss auditions, contestants get upset that I’m not there, because they expect me to be cruel to them—it’s some sort of badge of honor. That’s how crazy everything is.”

On rumors surrounding Clay Aiken's sexuality: “Look, if someone’s gay, who cares? I couldn’t care less. The fact is, tabloid coverage affects a large chunk of his fan base. When he was on the show, he was a very clean-cut guy, an underdog. That will always work for the middle-American audience. Now when you mention Clay, all that other stuff comes out, and that will affect his popularity.”

On being disappointed when Tamyra didn’t make it to the finals: “I think the American audience has pretty much gotten it right every year. Tamyra was the one instance when I felt disappointed. I would like to have seen her compete with Kelly in the final. It would have been well matched, whereas Kelly versus Justin Guarini was just a ridiculous mismatch.”

On his “average taste: “I mean, look, I’m 47 years old. You can’t pretend to like caviar if you hate the taste of it. It’s the same with what you listen to and watch. But I’m lucky I have very broad taste. If you looked in my collection of DVDs, you’d see Jaws and Star Wars. In the book library you’d see John Grisham and Sidney Sheldon. And if you look in my fridge, it’s like children’s food—chips, milk shakes, yogurt. I don’t have sophisticated tastes. I have average tastes."

On being quoted that he “can't stand Paula Abdul: “At times I can’t. You’re asking me on a good day. Maybe in three weeks it will be a bad day. We have a very volatile relationship. I mean one minute we’re like Siamese twins, and then we’re Tom and Jerry.”

On walking off a show this past season: “I walked off an episode, yeah. I’d had enough of Paula and Randy. I thought they were being obnoxious, trying to belittle me. I felt uncomfortable. It was like, 'I don’t need to listen to this. I’m bored of you two. If you guys have the answers, you judge the show without me.' So I went home.”

On partying with Seacrest and Jackson during the American Idol season: “What sealed the friendship between the three of us was going to a Hugh Hefner party at the Playboy Mansion for the first time. It was incredible; it really was. The best parties in the world, bar none. They’re every guy’s fantasy: 1,500 girls in lingerie who like you. That’s how life should be. Sometimes you have to attend a party and you escape after an hour. With this one Randy, Ryan and I were like, ‘Two days to go!’ ‘One day to go!’ ‘One hour to go!’”

on newsstands and at Playboydigital.com Friday, January 12