Simon Cowell considering starting a family

Simon Cowell is considering starting a family with long-term girlfriend Terri Seymour.

The American Idol judge -- who has always ruled out the possibility of having children because of his hectic work schedule -- has hinted that he may settle down and become a father.

Simon's PR guru, Max Clifford, said: "I had a chat with Simon tonight and he said he was going to call his first son Max after me.

"It's very flattering because Kerry Katona has named her boy after me too. I'll probably have to wait until I'm 100 to see if Simon will keep his promise. It's very kind of him though."

It was recently claimed that Simon's relationship with Terri was coming under strain because of his unwillingness to have children and settle down.

"Terri's 33 now and really wants kids but Simon isn't interested. Every time she raises the question he changes the subject," a source recently said.

"Yes she has a great life and wants for nothing but Terri is a simple girl at heart who just wants to be a mum and settle down. No amount of money or fame can ever compensate for that."

Simon -- who's worth an estimated $200m -- said recently: "I don't believe in marriage, certainly not in this business. The truth is that you get married and in a year or two they clean you out. It's just not going to work. The whole culture just puts you in a very weakened position."