Simon Cowell is such a big fan of having a ciggie, that he’s even willing to pay mega money for a quick puff in the studio, even though he’s breaking the law.
The Sunday Mirror reports that Simon Cowell pays out £100 during every advert break on The X Factor because he doesn’t want to go outside.
The music mogul has reportedly left the studio bosses baffled as he would rather pay the fine than wait until he can leave the building.
The smoking ban in England came into effect in 2007 and states that anyone smoking in the workplace can be fined up to £200.
Smoking is banned at Fountain Studios in Wembley, North West London, where The X Factor is filmed live every week because it is classed as a place of work.
But a show insider revealed: “Rather than wait until after the show and go outside like everybody else, Simon uses the advert breaks – but because they’re so short he never quite makes it outside.”
The 56-year-old is said to be unable to wait until the cameras have stopped rolling because of the pressures of live filming. “Simon makes no secret of the fact that he enjoys a cigarette to help him relax and obviously being on the judging panel while also running the show is very stressful,” the source added.
“People say smoking is a very expensive habit – but Simon has taken that to new heights. Over the course of a series we’re talking about literally thousands of pounds.”
Cowell, who at one point was smoking up to 40-a-day, revealed that the birth of his son Eric, now 21-months-old, had prompted him to cut back. Last month, he revealed that he was considering quitting the habit.
But he said: “This is the one thing I would find very difficult to give up because I do love a cigarette.”