Cowell Twists The Knife Into Howard

Simon Cowell has dismissed any chance of Halifax ad man Howard Brown becoming a pop star. 

Nerdy Howard, 40, is set to release a cover of Barry White classic You're The First, The Last, My Everything.

And Cowell - a judge on Pop Idol and the X Factor - is not impressed. 

"He irritates me on those ads," stormed the 43-year-old music guru. 

"He probably sounds as good as he looks - i.e. he has no chance." 

And with typical understatement, Cowell concluded: "It is the worst decision I have heard in my life." 

But Howard, who shot to fame in 2000 when he sang Tom Jones classic Sex Bomb on the bank's ads, told the Sun: "It is something I have dreamed about." 

Halifax will bankroll the release of the single - due out in March - with all proceeds going to the NSPCC.