Simon Cowell, best known for his brutally honest criticism as a judge on American Idol and the UK’s The X Factor, has been persuaded by pop singer Leona Lewis to give Meat Free Mondays a try. Lewis first approached Cowell after she met Sir Paul McCartney, a strong proponent of the Meat Free Monday movement. She then convinced Cowell to become involved. Lewis, who Cowell mentored during her appearance on The X Factor’s 2006 season, says the decision is another example of his support for her charity and environmental concerns. Cowell gave up meat in 2002, when he went vegetarian for a week.