SULKING Simon Cowell is quitting Britain's Got Talent because he is sick of his fellow judges putting through poor quality acts, we can reveal.
In the last three auditions alone, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden have given the thumbs up to five performers against the show supremo's wishes.
Two were on last night's show. And Simon has told pals he thinks Piers and Amanda are doing it to "wind him up" - and he has had enough.
The 50-year-old now plans to veto next year's audition shows and appear only from the live semi-final stage.
He will then quit the show the year after as he launches The X Factor in America. Last night a show insider said: "Piers and Amanda take great joy in saying yes to performers they know Simon will hate but it hasn't gone down well.
"He's annoyed they're putting through acts that shouldn't even be on TV, let alone in the final stages of the world's leading talent contest.
"Simon has just had enough of them messing about and not seeming to take it seriously - that's why he's off."
Last night Piers and Amanda overruled him on the double-act Magic Flute, married couple Claire and Clive Hodgson from Darlington, Co Durham. She played the flute while he performed tricks. Simon told them: "Every note was out of tune. I felt sorry for the doves having to listen to that.
"The act doesn't go together, it's like eating a banana and a tomato at same time."
But Amanda responded: "I think they do go together." And Piers described them as "hypnotic".
The judges also clashed over boyband Connected, with Simon initially giving them a no and Amanda and Piers saying yes.
In the first show, Simon was against them putting through camp ship entertainer Kevin Cruise, saying: "This is why I'd never go on one of those boats." But Amanda and Piers voted him through.
And the next week they accepted Lady GaGa-impersonating drag act Maxxie Oliver, while audience pressure forced Simon to allow classical group The Arrangement to carry on.
Last week he hinted he wouldn't be on the show for much longer, saying: "I will eventually leave but nothing is decided yet.
"Who knows what will happen next year?"
Our source said last night: "Simon can't work out why some of these acts have been put through, and thinks Piers and Amanda do it to wind him up. They're not good enough to win, and Simon knows it.
He feels he has more important things to do in life."