Did Simon & Dannii have a secret fling?

Simon Cowell revealed his affair with Dannii Minogue, claims an unauthorised biography.

Former BBC journalist Tom Bower's new book, Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell, claims that the music mogul had a 'genuine love' for Minogue during their time as X Factor judges.

The book features several quotes from Cowell regarding the alleged affair that he and Minogue both denied in 2008 after a picture was released that appeared to show the two holding hands in the back of a taxi.

The book quotes Cowell as saying: "I had a crush on her. It was Dannii’s hair, the sexy clothes, and the t**s. I was like a schoolboy. She was foxy. She was a real man’s girl. Very feminine. It was genuine love."

The affair was not serious, according to Bower, who quotes Cowell as explaining: "After Terri Seymour, I wasn’t ready for another relationship."

Cowell had said publicly of Minogue in 2008: "Every guy in the world fancies Dannii. She's become a sex symbol since joining the show, and the contestants love her. She's got that Sophia Loren, movie-star sex appeal, I love sitting next to her."

Cowell, 52, responded to the release of the biography on Twitter, writing: "Just seen the TV ad for the unauthorised book on me. Yikes!"