New role for Mr Nasty

Acid-tongued Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell is set to star in a new TV show which will put music industry apprentices through their paces.

The show will be a twist on the hit US series The Apprentice, in which contestants competed for a 250,000 US dollars-a-year (£135,000) job with property magnate Donald Trump.

Cowell said his programme would be called Mogul, and that he would play the tycoon.

Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar is fronting a version of The Apprentice, which sees one aspiring employee get the sack each week, on BBC2 next year. But Cowell's will be set in the music industry.

The 44-year-old, who has set up his own independent TV company following the success of Pop Idol, told Broadcast magazine: "I want to have hits. Hit shows that people talk about."

He also says he has an "absolutely genius" idea for a game show up his sleeve, but is keeping details under wraps for fear of getting the idea stolen.

His latest show, X-Factor, an alternative to Pop Idol, features rocker's wife Sharon Osbourne as a judge and has even seen a 250-strong male voice choir at the auditions.

Cowell, who is worth a reported £45 million, admits that TV viewers will soon tire of Mr Nasty, saying: "My shelf life is limited.

"I think people are going to be sick of me soon. I'm expecting that day in the not too distant future.

"It's a bit like going out with a girl - you know when it's over."