The Fonz beats Cowell in charity contest

Simon Cowell has been praised for his generous spirit despite failing to scoop £40,000 for his favourite charity in a celebrity radio quiz.

The X Factor judge was beaten to the prize by Henry Winkler, who played The Fonz in the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. Dawn French, Boris Johnson and William Shatner also took part in the 'Who's Calling Christian?' contest on Absolute Radio, reports New.

DJ Christian O'Connell said that although he was not triumphant, Cowell had demonstrated his kind-hearted side, explaining: "Simon sat up until 2am to call from L.A., the same week he said he was too busy to meet Barack Obama."

Cowell is already planning to arrange an appearance by the American president on a forthcoming American Idol show, describing him as a "really cool guy".