Wednesday, June 26, 2013 2:16am ET by  
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Pet Shop Boys star reveals he was asked to join American Idol

Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant has revealed that he was invited to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on American Idol.

The media mogul left the reality TV show in 2010 and speaking to Popjustice, Tennant said that he was asked to fly to the States to be interviewed for the vacant role.

However, the musician decided against the idea after watching a clip of the programme. He said:

"American Idol approached me when Simon Cowell left to do American X Factor, to see if I would be interested in being considered to replace him. They wanted me to fly to Los Angeles for an interview with them and, frankly, I didn't want to fly to Los Angeles for a half-hour interview. I said, 'I'll do a conference call'. I was at my house in Durham, and my dog was barking all the way through it. 

"Anyway, I got them to send me a DVD of the programme. I watched the first two minutes and I just thought, 'I can't do this'. I couldn't do the bit where you come out, holding hands with the judges, and just stand there. I was flattered to be asked, though."

Tennant added: "I think they wanted a bitchy gay Englishman, and I think someone said, 'Get that guy from the Pet Shop Boys'. Well that's what I assume. My issue, as much as anything else, was that I don't think it's possible to be 'Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys' and 'Neil Tennant, American Idol judge'. I've never had any interest in that sort of thing - and I've had some quite interesting offers over the years to present arts programmes for BBC Two and Channel 4."

 

 

 

 

Watch Pet Shop Boys' 'Vocal' video below: