Damon Albarn hates watching reality TV competitions such as "American Idol" and "The X Factor" - likening the contestants' audition process to animal slaughter. The Blur frontman has followed in the footsteps of Sir Elton John and New Order's Bernard Sumner to take aim at Simon Cowell's talent shows, insisting talented young wannabes who participate are "sanitised" by producers and stripped of their originality.

He tells Britain's The Sun, "It's not good because, though from time to time they may stumble across a beautiful voice, they put them through a food processor and make them fast food. A cow is definitely a more beautiful thing before it hits the hamburger factory."

"They do things to these kids. They play with their bodies and their faces. They just bleach and sanitise everything about them and that's a very potent aspirational aspect of our society."