Aretha Franklin was a teenage mom a musician who came from an incredibly Christian background but there was a lot of love which is really inspiring in a feminist way.

I think the institute of marriage is a noble thing. The idea of a partner for life is incredibly romantic. But now we're living to 100. A hundred years ago people were dying at age 37. Til death do us part was a much different deal.

I don't do marriage. I think it's incredibly naff. And I don't like vulgar displays of ostentation.

Leaders of the future will have to be visionary and be able to bring people in - real communicators. These are things that women bring to leadership and executive positions and it's going to be incredibly valuable and incredibly in demand.

Not everybody is created equal and it's important for companies to identify those high potentials and treat them differently accelerate their development and pay them more. That process is so incredibly important to developing first-class leadership in a company.

To deal with the stark reality of having hit or hurt a woman or child to deal with the initial responsibility you have not to do that and the knowledge you did do it can be incredibly hard.

I take parenting incredibly seriously. I want to be there for my kids and help them navigate the world and develop skills emotional intelligence to enjoy life and I'm lucky to be able to do that and have two healthy normal boys.

Since we launched the original 'Pop Idol' in England I've remained close with Simon Fuller. Working as executive producer on 'American idol' for its first seven years not only was an inspirational journey into the heart of American pop culture it opened my eyes to the untapped potential of the incredibly dynamic young people in this world.

It would be incredibly presumptuous and self-serving of me to believe that Facebook was the end of history. The only way it could possibly be the end of history is if it becomes some sort of artificial super intelligence that takes over the world.

People really do make the assumption that I had some weirdo Hollywood upbringing but my parents are incredibly down-to-earth people who worked really hard to raise us in a way that was health.