Britney Spears was 'in awe' of Simon Cowell

Britney Spears was "in awe" of Simon Cowell when she met him on 'The X Factor'.

Simon – who was photographed with Britney and his fellow judges Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole after performing her hit track 'Womanizer' on the British TV talent show on Saturday (29.11.08) – claims the 27-year-old star was stunned when she met him.

He said: "This may be a bit egotistical, but I think she was in awe of me. She was just staring at me. I said, 'Touch me, I'm human', and I think that broke the ice." Despite Britney being criticised for miming on the programme, Simon insists the audience were wowed by her performance.

He added to US radio host Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM show: "There was more buzz, more excitement, for this girl than anyone else. It was as if the president was on the show. I love it. I think if you are going to be a star, be a star.

"She was terrific. Very professional. This girl has got huge star quality. You have got to hand it to her. She's a great performer. I would literally have her on my show every week for the next 10 years."

Britney is set to celebrate her 27th birthday and the release of her new album 'Circus' with a performance on US TV show 'Good Morning America' today (02.12.08).