Simon Cowell owns up to spying on his neighbours

Washington: Music mogul Simon Cowell has developed a new and strange hobby - spying on his neighbours.

The American Idol judge adopted the pastime after watching the 1979 movie 10, in which actor Dudley Moore's character snoops on a nearby resident.

Cowell has even installed a telescope in the kitchen of his Los Angeles mansion.

"I saw that Dudley Moore film and it was great. Afterwards, I got a telescope installed in my kitchen so I can spy on people. I look out over the Hollywood Hills into my neighbours' gardens. It's an amazing view,” Contactmusic quoted him, as saying.

"It isn't powerful enough to see into their homes - so you can't see them in the shower - but you can see into their gardens. It's great fun. I just like to keep an eye on what is happening," he added.