Cowell’s A Work Of Art

Christmas has come early for SIMON COWELL - bosses at his record company commissioned iconic British graffiti artist BANKSY to design a one-off piece in honour of the music mogul.

The American Idol star is a keen art collector, and chiefs at Sony BMG decided to treat him to a true masterpiece for the festive season.

They asked Banksy to depict him as a stern-faced judge in a reproduction of one of his favourite pieces of art - and Cowell’s delighted with the finished result.

A source tells Britain’s Daily Mirror, “Sony wanted something totally unique and special to give to Simon - but he’s not the easiest man to buy for. He’s a secret art collector and loves the work of Edgar Degas - plus he’s a huge fan of Banksy.

“Banksy decided to mock up one of Degas’ most famous works, superimposing Simon’s beaming head onto the ballet master. In it, Simon looks like he’s judging the girl, and deciding whether or not he has the X Factor. Simon took one look at the painting and fell about laughing. He declared it ‘hilarious’ and commissioned two prints to be made so he could have paintings of him all around the world.”