Simon Cowell admits he’s too tough on contestants

By Alexandra Heilbron on June 22, 2009 | 10 Comments


simon_cowellSimon Cowell’s been showing a softer side of himself this year. In a letter that was published in the British paper the Daily Mail on Saturday, he spoke about the controversy surrounding this year’s Britain’s got Talent competition. “There has never been a spectacle quite like the latest series of Britain’s Got Talent. I, of course, am inevitably portrayed as the evil ringmaster. The time has finally come for me to set a few things straight. You just can’t imagine how awful it was, sitting in my judge’s chair, watching 10-year-old Hollie Steel start to cry in front of millions as she struggled to remember the lines of her song,” he wrote. “Oh God, it was terrible. So I decided to let her come back later in the show to sing again – ironically, I have had more complaints about Hollie being allowed to perform twice than anything else in the show.” Cowell admits he could’ve handled things better with Susan Boyle, too. “It has become clear to me that we didn’t handle the situation with Susan as well as we could have.” When her performance of “I Dreamed A Dream” was seen on YouTube millions of times, Susan skyrocketed to fame. “She seemed fine with the attention,” Cowell says, but adds when it came closer to the finale, “The pressure and her nerves were beginning to get the better of her. So I said, ‘Make sure she has a friend with her all the time. Make sure she has any help that she needs.’” Though she told him she was fine, Cowell relates that it was a “bad moment” for the Scottish singer when she lost to dance group Diversity. She’s missed a few dates on the Britain’s Got Talent tour, but Cowell says, “When she does perform, I am thrilled by the reception she gets. Whatever happens in the weeks ahead, I will continue to support her. Moral of the story?” he concluded. “I don’t always get it right.”



Comments & Discussion

  1. Jo-Anne • June 22, 2009 @ 3:14 PM

    good for Simon….I still like you…

  2. Oscar dl R • June 22, 2009 @ 7:19 PM

    He has no fashion sense!
    Let’s nominate him to be on “what NOT to wear”

  3. bernie • June 22, 2009 @ 7:35 PM

    who cares what he wears!!! he is a rich guy….nothing to prove:)))

  4. demigod • June 23, 2009 @ 4:44 AM

    The most overpaid for what he does.

  5. Jo-Anne • June 23, 2009 @ 8:42 AM

    the most deserving of a paycheque of the judges for what they do…

  6. mandee • June 27, 2009 @ 3:12 PM

    i love simon. he is always truthful no matter what. thats a good trait to have.

  7. Nancy • June 27, 2009 @ 3:25 PM

    “You can’t handle the truth!”

    That’s what Jack Nicholson’s character said. Hahaha.

  8. mandee • June 27, 2009 @ 3:57 PM

    well, being truthful and being rude and insulting everyone that disagrees with you, are 2 completely different things.

  9. mandee • June 29, 2009 @ 6:55 PM

    its ok 🙂 already sent the emails to a few people.

  10. Jo-Anne • June 30, 2009 @ 7:03 PM

    I totally agree re Simon, mandee…I think it’s his “delivery” people find offensive, yet I’ve always maintained he tells it like it is and in that entertainment field, I think he’s doing it right…


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