Simon Cowell has said that he is in talks with Richard Branson to send the next Britain's Got Talent winner into space.
In an interview with The Sun, he said: "Richard Branson is the sponsor of the show with Virgin. We are trying to work out a way so that the winner of the show gets to go up in the spacecraft and will be the first person to perform in space.
"I'm being serious. You could be the first singer or dog act, whatever, performing in space.
"I would go on the spaceship myself - you have to have a lot of training. I love the idea that, if they are up for it, then they have the option of performing in front of the whole planet in space."
"But I will make it happen. If it had been a few years ago Susan Boyle could have been singing Unchained Melody in front of the whole planet."
Cowell added that Branson is so excited by the idea that he has agreed to fund the mission himself.
He said: "This is worth tens of millions of pounds, but Richard genuinely is up for doing it.
"I'm not winding you up, Richard would pay for it."
Britain's Got Talent will be judged by Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden when it returns for its sixth series in the spring.
David Walliams is set to join the BGT judging panel for the show's sixth series
