The ever-acerbic Pop Idol and American Idol judge Simon Cowell has signed a book deal worth $2m with Random House.

Reuters reports the deal was done around a week ago, just after Cowell inked another deal with FOX to appear in the third season of American Idol. Also last week, Cowell's new reality show, Cupid began airing on the CBS network. However, Cupid has come up against some hurdles - its first performance in the ratings got mixed reviews among the US TV critics; and one CBS affiliate has refused to air the show. WRAL-TV, the CBS affiliate for North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham market - the 29th largest market in America - has refused to air the show on the grounds that it demeans the institution of marriage. WRAL's parent company, Capitol Broadcasting, also refused to air another reality show, Married By America, on its WRAZ FOX-50 station.

Cowell's book, I Don't Mean To Be Rude, But... is set to hit bookshelves in December across the USA and Canada. It will be co-authored by Simon Cowell's brother, Tony Cowell, and will look at American Idol from Cowell's perspective.