Simon Cowell's candor was legendary during his tenure as a judge on "American Idol." He has since acknowledged that his harsh critiques may have crossed a line. In a recent appearance on The New York Times' "The Interview" podcast, Cowell expressed regret for his brutal honesty, which often left contestants reeling. He recalled being driven by a desire to discover talented artists to sign to his record label.
Frustration mounted when subpar auditions threatened to derail the show's potential for success. "All I wanted with these shows was to find successful artists to sign to the label," Cowell explained. "So when all these people were coming in and they couldn't sing... I was frustrated at the beginning, because I thought, 'If we don't find someone good at the end of these shows, they're not going to get recommissioned.'" Cowell's sharp tongue earned him a reputation, with YouTube compilations of his most scathing comments garnering millions of views.
Clips of him labeling a contestant a "loser" and telling multiple singers they were the worst he'd ever heard still circulate online. Though Cowell insists he "wasn't trying to be" mean-spirited, his approach has been widely criticized.
During an appearance on The New York Times' "The Interview" podcast , Cowell apologized for his famously harsh comments toward contestants when he ...Related perspectives: Visit website
