Simon Cowell tells Oprah of depression

Simon Cowell admitted suffering from bouts of depression and losing all his money in his thirties in a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey on US TV.

The music mogul gave a farewell interview as he prepared to leave American Idol, the US version of The X Factor, after nine series.

In the broadcast, aired last night, he confessed to having made some "horrific" errors in his life as well as experiencing dark moods.

He was shown photographs of his younger self with longer hair and a moustache.

He said: "I get very, very down, pretty much depression. (But) what I always say is, You're taking yourself too seriously, so stop it'. At the same time, you should never put a painted smile on. When you're feeling down, you're feeling down."

Cowell, 50, who also has his own record label and created the TV shows Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, said he felt drained by his work.

"You just become aware that a lot of people depend on you, rely on you, or you're not giving people the time you should be giving them. It's almost like a guilt thing, and that does drain me," he said.

He also recalled a time 20 years ago when he lost his job and had to move back with his parents.
He said: "I made some horrific mistakes. I believed my own ego, believed my own hype, and lots of times it came crashing down."