American Idol contestants beware: Simon Cowell might be a bit crankier this season.
The A.I. judge was recently dumped via phone by his longtime girlfriend, Terri Seymour, his rep confirms to People magazine.
"Terri phoned Simon and finished it in September, about six weeks ago," says Max Clifford. "They are going to remain close friends. Simon thinks the world of Terri and that isn't going to change. He also understands her reason for ending it."
Seymour, 34, and Cowell, 48, began dating in 2002 after she interviewed him for a television show.
According to the U.K.'s Daily Mirror, the former model told friends, "We’ve split up. It’s very sad but we decided to go our separate ways. It just wasn’t working out between us."
Seymour's desire for marriage and children may have been a factor. "In the past Terri has said that she wants kids but that just isn't Simon," said Clifford. "Nobody else is involved, certainly not on Simon's side."