“I’m a much better judge than Simon,” announced the X Factor’s new top dog, Gary Barlow.
So there we have it. Any fears we may have had that Barlow lacked the requisite self-possession to replace Simon Cowell on the X Factor judging panel were soon assuaged when the Take That star took his place in the spotlight at Wednesday's X Factor launch.
There was one token stab at humility when asked how he felt about filling Cowell's polo-neck trousers.
“Simon’s the master at this, it’s going to be a tough role to fill," he said, obviously not losing sight of his flapping £1.5million paycheque.
When asked about being dubbed the new Mr Nasty, the housewives' favourite answered: “I’m serious about music, I just want to be honest with them.”
But the man who wrote Patience was quick to dismiss some of the more outlandish musical offerings paraded before him, during the sneak peek of Saturday's auditions.
When Goldie, a barely-clothed 48-year-old woman from Hong Kong, writhed around him, locking her legs around his neck and grabbing hold of herself somewhat suggestively, Barlow barely missed a beat: "It’s been a long time since I’ve had a stranger's leg around my neck – you’re wasting your time with Louis though.”