Cowell crowned TV's richest man
2007-11-19 14:00
London - Simon Cowell has been crowned the richest man on TV.
The music mogul, who is a judge on TV talents shows The X Factor and American Idol, has a staggering £100m fortune, according to a list compiled by Britain's Daily Mail newspaper's Weekend magazine.
Weekend financial journalist Duncan Farmer said: "It's the 47-year-old's continuing success in the US, particularly with American Idol - a show watched by 41 million Americans every week - that has really helped to fill the Cowell coffers.
"A recent report in an US magazine estimated the American Idol and X Factor brands could be worth as much as £750m for Cowell."
Simon's fellow X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy - who both starred in MTV reality show The Osbournes - saw their collective riches equal Simon's.
The Weakest Linkpresenter Anne Robinson was in second place with £62m.
However, she could be set to lose half her wealth in a bitter divorce battle with ex-husband John Penrose.
Celebrity chefs battled it out for fourth position, with Gordon Ramsay eventually beating fellow chef Jamie Oliver by £20m.
Katie Price
Gordon - who owns nine restaurants and two pubs in London, as well as one in New York, and plans to open eateries in Florida, Los Angeles, Paris and Ireland next year - has become even more popular after releasing two autobiographies.
His show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is currently in its fifth series on British television.
Glamour model-turned-businessperson Katie Price showed off her ample assets by placing ninth in the list with a net worth of £l30.5m through her underwear, perfume and book lines, as well as her chat show with husband Peter Andre, and deal with Britain's OK! magazine.
A surprise entry in the top 15 is possibly Frasier actress Jane Leeves. She came eleventh with £25m, despite her acting career waning since the popular American sitcom finished in 2004.
But it is her production company, Bristol Cities, which nets her the most money.
Farmer wrote: "Jane, 46, is now a powerful force behind the camera, having established her own production company - she is executive producer of the US version of The Vicar of Dibley."
Ant McPartlin and his presenting partner Declan Donnelly rounded off the top 15, despite the recent ITV phone-in scandal which threatened to damage their careers.
Daily Mail's Weekend magazine's Top 15 Richest People in Television:
1. Simon Cowell - £100m
2. Sharon and Ozzy - £100m
3. Anne Robinson - £62m
4. Gordon Ramsay - £60m
5. Jamie Oliver - £40m
6. Jonathan Ross - £35m
7. Chris Evans - £31m
8. Chris Tarrant - £30m
9. Katie Price - £30.5m
10. Coleen McLoughlin - £30m
11. Jane Leeves - £25m
12. Noel Edmonds - £24m
13. Delia Smith - £23m
14. Gary Lineker - £22m
15. Ant and Dec - £20m each
- Bang Showbiz.com