Simon Cowell pays tribute to Whitney Houston

Listen to Simon Cowell talk to Heart about the late singer

Simon Cowell has paid tribute to Whitney Houston, who has died at the age of 48.

The 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' singer passed away in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday (11th February).

Speaking to Heart, Simon Cowell called the star's death a "very sad" moment.

"There's always moments in your life which are horrible things to remember – the day John Lennon died, Elvis Presley, and recently Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse, and now Whitney," he said.

Simon went on to remember the last time he had met Whitney when she appeared on The X Factor in the UK.

"You could sense at the time that there were still a few problems, but she was a delight to work with on the day," he said.

"She was very professional; she was kind to everyone around her. She probably wasn't all together there but it was still Whitney Houston and you know that you're in the presence of a legend and I'll never forget that day."

He added: "There are so few people like her in the world; they're a rarified breed. These are true superstar legendary divas and I say diva in the nicest possible way because that's what she was.

"She had one of the greatest voices I've ever heard in my life ever."

Whitney Houston was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to her room and were unable to revive her.

The Los Angeles Police Department have launched a full investigation into her death of the singer, which came just hours ahead of the Grammy Awards.

Listen to Simon Cowell speaking to Heart below: