Phineas T Cowell sorry Barnum used to say 'there's a sucker born every minute' and will ever be remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes.
Well Mr Cowell you are right up there with the other bunkum artists promoting one entertainment whilst insisting it is another.
The X Factor has ceased to be a singing contest it is now a competition for ratings and the chasing of audience numbers.
Beware Simon for that is the road to instant gain but long term loss.
You have devalued both yourself and the programme.
Have you sold out to the cash strapped ITV bosses, because you are certainly not acting in the best interests of your own contestants? You protest too much when casting aside the observation that your comments are the only ones the poor misguided participants really find relevant.
Who are you kidding? Certainly not us, nor your fellow judges and I venture to suggest not even yourself.
You tell us that the public must have the final vote but this is a cop out and further degrades our faith in you to be, as you have always seemed to be, honest fair and to tell it like it is.
You have let us down.
Be warned Mr Cowell you are turning The X Factor into 'Britain's Got the X Factor Talent'.
This is a confused message that will bounce back on you.
If we have one why do we need the other? It is not a proving ground for the next Ant and Dec.
If you have done a deal with Mr Andrew Lloyd Webber to provide the next star for The London Theatre, I consider this to be a noble and worthy venture but BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR AGENDA.
Louis Walsh's complaint that you are constantly changing the rules is ringing ever truer in our ears.
On many occasions previously you have told us that the X factor is a singing contest and that the final 'sing off' is to be judged exactly by that criterion.
But in the last two shows you have shirked that responsibility and have judged it on the 'pulling power' of the performer.
The clue is in the words 'sing off'.
This however on two occasions has not been the criteria of choice.
Lloyd's voice failed him yet you still chose Rachel.
Jedward can't sing yet you cast Lucie into the abyss.
Mr Lloyd Webber I hope you were watching.
Ignore the public outcry at your peril Mr Cowell.
You have made the same error as another high profile person of his day, Gerald Ratner.
In his infamous faux pas he told us that the reason he could sell his jewellery so cheaply was because it was crap.
His credibility crumbled overnight because he was guilty of a cardinal sin.
He let his customers know exactly what he thought of them, ignorant and gullible.
My growing belief is that you are showing us exactly what you really think of us.
We have always been emotionally manipulated by the back stories of the contestants, now we are being duped into believing that it is our decision that is final.
It is not.
I will not boycott the show nor suggest that others do so because the finalist should be given a platform for their talent.
I will however, not be voting and hopefully that will damage the revenue received from the telephone calls.
My only hope is that the financial implications of your lack of judgment restore your sense of fair play and bring back the true ethos of The X Factor - That it is a singing competition.