Simon Cowell has spoken out to defend his decision to make Simon Cowell's controversial Barclaycard ad slammed by green campaigners .
The millionaire music mogul has been slammed for signing a contract with Barclaycard, to promote its new online repayment calculator.
According to eco-campaigners, Barclays bank has funded fossil fuel extraction, which has created a major climate change threat in the polar region.
Cowell was called out by green activists for taking part in the advert, which teases a new talent show set in Antartica.
But the Britain's Got Talent head judge has insisted he only did it because it was "fun" - and not for the huge paycheque that was presumably attached.
Chris Packham takes swipe at Simon Cowell over Antarctica Barclaycard ad
"I don't normally do adverts," he explained to the Daily Mail , "but this one appealed because it was an interesting message, and done in a fun way,"
Surely with the amount of money Simon Cowell makes, his interest in credit cards must be minimal.
"It was fun" he insists. "And it's an important message. We could all do with a bit of advice on how to be better with our finances."
The ad is supposed to play on the idea that Barclaycard will take less money from its customers, by comparing it to an impossible TV show.
Simon Cowell's controversial Barclaycard ad slammed by green campaigners
It sees Simon pretending to judge a talent show in the Antarctica in the freezing cold, which would be perceived as a "bad idea".
But a number of campaigners have spoken out against it.
"Barclays' lending to the fossil fuel industries massively increases their customer's - and the whole economy's - vulnerability to the disastrous impacts of climate change. Their shiny new repayment calculator won't do anything to reduce that cost," said Chalrie Kronick, oil campaigner at Greenpeace UK.
Meanwhile, TV presenter Chris Packham told the Mirror: "I am very surprised Simon didn’t solicit better advice about this and how it would understandably enrage and disappoint those hoping that high-profile public figures would get on board with the message about addressing climate change."
