PETE Waterman has vowed to be 'Mr Nasty' when he joins old mate Simon Cowell as a regular guest judge for his new Netflix talent show.

It's been 32 years since he judged alongside the fellow music mogul on Pop Idol. And he promises not to be "kind" when he helps find a new boyband in the six part docuseries, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which launches on December 10.

He says: "I am not kind. You have to tell it how it is. You have to tell the truth."

Showing no signs of mellowing with age, Pete, 71, says he doesn't watch shows like Strictly Come Dancing, where judges give measured criticism, saying: "On Pop Idol, Popstars: The Rivals and X Factor in the early days, we told the truth and that is why we got 20 million viewers.

"Everybody says it is a different world now, but it is not a different world. If you can't tell the truth then we are bued."

He is equally dismissive of recent documentaries exposing the truth behind boy bands, in which former members have spoken about the price of fame.

He says: "I don't watch those shows. Empty vessels make the most noise."

Delighted to be working with Cowell on a talent show, he has not seen the final cut, but says: "It's great to be back working on a show like that again - I mean working with Simon is always a pleasure. It is great fun."

Hinting that the duo have found a band ready to conquer the world, like One Direction, he continues: "I think we are desperate for a new boy band. I think we are desperate for anything from Britain aren't we?

"There is always room for another one, but it is just finding it. That is the art."

Full of praise for Cowell, he says making shows with him can be a gamble.

"Simon is the best gambler in the world," he adds.

Of finding a boy band, he continues: "It is an amazing challenge. But if anyone can do it, Simon can."

But he does not envy his friend's fame and is relieved to have balanced his own music industry career with his well-publicisd interest in model railways.

"How do you cope with all that fame?" he asks. "I want to go home at night and play with my trains!"

But Waterman still feels passionate about music - and lavishes praise on certain pop stars.

Of Harry Styles, he says: "I like Harry.. You can put him on the front of anything and he has got so many followers. He has got a great image.

"One Direction were a phenomena and what Simon did there, nobody had done before. They brought in this whole marketing thing which was not there in our day.

"It would be interesting to see how Rick [Astley] and Kylie would have benefitted from the modern age."

A great admirer of Rick Astley and Kylie he says: "You can't do what Ricky and Kylie have done without having something more than the normal act.

"To go from being a tea boy to being the biggest star in the world, at that time is incredible.

"At the time there was George Michael and he got replaced by some kid from Newton-le-Willows [Rick]. For Rick it must have been a very strange experience.

"I mean Never Gonna Give You Up is still a great song.

"We went into Selfridges for some late night shopping and I opened one of these musical birthday cards and one of them was Never Gonna Give You Up. Thirty years ago nobody would have believed that."

Pete Waterman hints at One Direction-style find on Simon Cowell's new Netflix talent show - The Mirror