Simon CowellFaye's Vision/Cover Images
By
Jeff Dodge
Published 7 minutes ago
Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.
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Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell apologized for his rude behavior on the hit singing competition show. Cowell became a household name with his sharp and sometimes cruel comments about contestants' voices and appearances. After leaving Idol, he went on to star on The X Factor USA, which also featured the TV personality slinging shocking critiques at the singers.
Cowell's current tenure on America's Got Talent is the complete opposite, with the judge providing much more positive feedback.
While looking back at his time on American Idol, Cowell apologized during an interview with the New York Times, adding that he didn't mean to "be a d*** on purpose."
His goal on Idol was to search for talented singers who could become superstars, so he acted the same way he did as a music executive by bluntly telling the singers if they could or couldn't sing.
I wasn’t trying to be a dick on purpose. All I wanted with these shows was to find successful artists to sign to the label. So when all these people were coming in, and they couldn’t sing, I would be like when I used to audition people, and someone would come in and they can’t sing. We would say after 10 seconds, 'You can’t sing.' Not, 'You’re going to be brilliant.'
The filming process for the American Idol audition was long and arduous, which didn't help Cowell's mood at all and caused him to "get fed up."
The producers knew that those sharp-tongued comments were television gold and made sure to include them in the episodes. "They're always going to use me in a bad mood," Cowell said. "I got that. What can I say? I'm sorry."
I did realize I’ve probably gone too far. I didn’t particularly like audition days, because they’re long and boring. I would get fed up. And of course, out of a hundred nice comments, what are they going to use? They’re always going to use me in a bad mood. I got that. What can I say? I’m sorry.
There were several times on American Idol in which Cowell faced criticism for crossing a line by humiliating the contestants. Crossing that line is why he felt the need to change his behavior after realizing he was "not proud" of some of the comments he made.
Cowell added that even though his behavior was rude, it caused American Idol to become a nationwide and worldwide phenomenon, creating global superstars out of singers like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert.
That was then. I’m not proud of it, let’s put it that way. I never look at this stuff online, so when I hear about these clips, I’m like, 'Oh, god.' But then again, the upside is that it made the shows really popular worldwide.
The former American Idol judge claimed that his change in behavior happened after he realized he went too far.
However, to U.S. audiences, it seemed to happen overnight. Cowell acted one way on Idol and The X Factor, and then was reborn as a positive and kind judge when he joined America's Got Talent.
What likely led Cowell and the singing/talent competition genre as a whole to trend in a more positive direction was The Voice. When that show premiered in 2011, months before Cowell's X Factor debuted in the U.S., the coaches acted as mentors and provided positivity and constructive feedback to the artists.
The Voice became a TV sensation (if not a music industry phenomenon) with its red-swiveling chairs and blind auditions.
Months later, The X Factor continued Cowell's cruelty and presented a sharp contrast with The Voice. The X Factor ended up failing and was canceled after only three seasons, while The Voice is currently airing its 28th season and American Idol, which also features kinder judges now, is gearing up for its 24th season.
It seems that Cowell had to learn the hard way that as the singing/talent competition genre was evolving, everyone involved needed to change too.
The X Factor may be in the rearview mirror, but he's still a judge on America's Got Talent and is about to debut a new series called Simon Cowell: The Next Act (premiering December 10 on Netflix), which aims to find the next boy band after One Direction became the most successful act on The X Factor UK.
Presumably, Cowell will continue to evolve and show his new and improved sunny disposition.
American Idol season 24 premieres Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
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