Gordon Brown has delivered a double blow to the BBC as he questioned Jonathan Ross's salary and revealed he preferred The X Factor to Strictly Come Dancing.
During an interview with Piers Morgan for the latest edition of GQ magazine, the Prime Minister also admitted he could present the Government's message "a lot better", adding: "I'm actually shy by nature rather than extrovert."
Despite saying Simon Cowell deserved the tens of millions he earned, he said there was a feeling of "unfairness" over the sums of money being paid to TV stars.
When asked "is it right that someone like Jonathan Ross gets £18m from the BBC?", Mr Brown replied: "The BBC has got to seriously consider its salary structure".
Mr Brown said he wanted to be involved in charitable work when he leaves office but refused to condemn former prime ministers for doing speaking tours.
Saying X Factor judge Cowell "deserves" to make tens of millions, Brown said: "Entrepreneurs deserve the chance to make money because they have ideas they are putting into practice.
"Simon does a lot of charity work, and in an industry like entertainment, the values that are set for entertainers are set by the biggest market in the world, and that's America."
The PM then revealed his preference The X Factor over the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, adding: "Cowell accused me of wavering in my support for The X Factor, but I haven't. I'm an X Factor fan, and Peter Mandelson looks after Strictly Come Dancing."
The X Factor is screened on UTV on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Missed The X Factor? To get all the updates, join the discussions and catch up on previous episodes, visit The X Factor.
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