Simon Cowell: "I Was Bored" with 'American Idol'

If you thought Simon Cowell looked like he was struggling through his last season as American Idol judge, you were right. As the sharp-tongued Brit sat on the panel for the show's ninth season, we couldn't even count how many eye-rolls he gave the aspiring contestants. Now, Cowell, 51, is admitting that his final days as Idol's "mean judge" weren't exactly thrilling.

"I was bored," he says in the new issue of GQ. "But at the same time I had a deal with Fox, and you've got to do what you've been paid to do."

Just how bored was he?

"There were times I used to wake up, and I knew it was an audition day, and it was the same feelings I used to get Sunday nights at school," Cowell said. "I used to wake up and think, I just wish I could do what I used to do -- put a cup of tea on my head and pretend I'd got a fever."

We all know what that's like -- and it's one of the main reasons Cowell bolted from the show the minute his contract was up. Now he's bringing the much-anticipated X Factor over to America from his homeland.

"The first two or three years on Idol, I had a blast," he said. "And then, as it got more and more successful, I didn't want to do it anymore. I just felt I was there being paid to do a role, and after awhile that's not very satisfying. So it was hard work the last couple of years. I wanted to do this."

But that's what we always loved about Simon: He's honest. He tells the truth, even if it's hard to hear sometimes. And, no doubt, it's a huge part of why he's so successful.

And speaking of success, Cowell makes no apologies for all the cash he's raked in over the years. But he does plan to share the wealth after his time on earth is up. When asked what he plans to do with all of his money, he said, "Leave the whole lot to charity...You can enjoy it while you've got it, and then it's gone to good causes afterwards."

He continued, "One of the good things about making money is that you can help other people. It feels good when you do it. I like doing it. But the idea that the whole lot just gets moved to another person, that's ridiculous. I don't think it's good for people."

Emmy Rossum Erica Leerhsen Erika Christensen Estella Warren