Cowell fears he is too old for kids

Simon Cowell fears he is too old to have children, but says he loves kids.

The 51-year-old music mogul – who got engaged to make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy last February – admits he struggles to relate to very young kids, but would love to have youngsters of his own to play games with.

He said: “I worry about it – because of my age. Also, if children could be born at the age of five I’d quite like that. I like them at that age when they can talk and understand. I’m not sure I could deal with the whole ‘ga ga goo’ thing. But I genuinely like kids.”

Cowell also admitted Hussainy, 36, had “softened” him and had finally made him think about settling down forever.

He added on a forthcoming episode of 'Oprah Presents Master Class': “Mish has softened me. She’s helped me see the world differently. She has knocked my socks off.

“I’d never been good with relationships and I never thought I’d be with one person – I do now.

“I genuinely believed no one would want to marry me. I am difficult to live with. I’m selfish, quite weird and I need time on my own to think – and then I work all night long. That is difficult for someone to deal with. And it would drive me mad – I could never be my own girlfriend!”