Cowell excited about becoming a father

X Factor mogul Simon Cowell has said he gets his own vote in the fatherhood stakes.

The star, 53, is expecting his first baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, 36.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I am good with kids because I like kids. I really do like them and I listen to them.

“Once I got used to it I did get excited. I think I will be a good dad, so I’m excited.”

However, Cowell insisted that he will not deal with dirty nappies.

“I’m not doing that, 100% absolutely not going near that,” he told the show, and asked whether he would delegate to someone else, he replied: “Of course.”

Warned by Harry Hill, who has written the X Factor musical, that he would feel exhausted from sleepless nights, he replied: “Can’t I just get a nanny?”

Cowell, who is promoting new musical I Can’t Sing, said that he relished the ratings battle with his own show, X Factor, and Strictly Come Dancing.

“It’s a little bit of a battle. I like that because you can’t always assume that you’re going to beat the competition but it makes us work harder,” he said.

“It’s annoying when they beat us but in other years we beat them. We’ll beat them [this year].”

Cowell also said that he had banned the words “journey” and “dream” from X Factor, saying: “I hate people saying ‘you’re going on a journey’ because you’re not going on a journey. You’re on a talent show.”

He told Daybreak that the baby will be at the premiere of the musical.