Did Simon Cowell have affair with Dannii Minogue?

Simon Cowell has sensationally admitted to an affair with his fellow X Factor judge Dannii Minogue... or so it seems.

The 52 year-old music mogul made the claims during an interview for an unauthorised biography, called Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell, by journalist Tom Bower.

Bower has previously authored books on Richard Branson, Gordon Brown and Robert Maxwell, and won the 2003 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for Broken Dreams, an investigation into corruption in English football.

"I had a crush on her. It was Dannii's hair, the sexy clothes, and the t**s.

"I was like a schoolboy. She was foxy. She was a real man's girl. Very feminine. It was genuine love", said Cowell.

Rumours of them dating surfaced in 2007 when they were pictured in a car holding hands after Children In Need.

Later that year, Cowell was quoted as saying: "Dannii reckons there's a picture on The X Factor website where I'm staring at her bottom. I probably was... but I think most people would if they were sitting next to her. She was probably sticking it out on purpose.

"Every guy in the world fancies Dannii. She's become a sex symbol since joining the show, and the contestants love her. She's got that Sophia Loren, movie-star sex appeal, I love sitting next to her."

The book also reveals that he turned his attentions to Cheryl Cole when she joined the show in 2008, claiming he wanted an affair with her, despite the fact she was still married to Ashley Cole.

Following reports of his alleged comments, Simon Cowell's spokesperson declined to comment.