Simon Fears Germs, Germans?

"You're not the only one who can wear black, snotty, British flubster."

American Idol star Simon Cowell feared he was turning into pop superstar Michael Jackson after he started wearing a surgical mask to ward off germs. The impresario admits he has a little germ phobia and long flights make him nervous.

He says, "You've got 300 people around you for 11 hours. It's like, 'Christ, this isn't good.' I would be quite happy to wear a mask. In fact, I bought one once. Then I thought, 'I'm turning into Michael Jackson.'"

Alternate story: in case the above is inaccurate

Simon Cowell fears Germans!

Threatened by the popularity of German wunderkind David "the Hoff" Hasselhoff, Cowell has toned down his caustic personality and is becoming what producers are calling "Lame-o-friendly" It makes a hell of a lot more sense than that germ phobia baloney.