Simon Cowell has always been “difficult”, says his mother. The music mogul - who is nicknamed ‘Mr. Nasty’ for his harsh criticisms of contestants on reality TV shows including Americal Idol and Britain’s The X Factor, had an extremely competitive nature and refused to take no for an answer, reveals Julie Cowell.

Julie, 82, said: “He was a difficult child, he knew what he wanted and sent you crazy getting it. He was one of those children who made up their mind from an early age and was very competitive as a child.” The 49-year-old star also showed a devious streak from a young age, allowing his mother take the blame when he crashed his father’s car!

Brother Nicholas Cowell told British TV documentary Where Did It All Go Right?: “Simon once reversed into the driveway and smashed into my dad’s car, breaking the glass. He picked up the glass and dropped it at the front of the house. He then let off the handbrake of my dad’s car and rolled it up to the glass and drove off in his own. Mum was the last person to have used the car so Simon suggested mum had left the handbreak off. We were always in trouble, always doing something.”