“Simon Cowell Apologizes for ‘Being a Dick’ on American Idol: Says Fame and Time Changed Him”

Rewritten Article

Simon Cowell is reflecting on his years at American Idol — and admitting that some of his harshest moments went too far.

Cowell, who judged on the hit competition series from 2002 to 2010, told The New York Times in a Nov. 29 interview that he is “not proud” of certain insults he delivered during his time on the show. The 66-year-old TV personality said that, while his blunt honesty was part of the series’ formula, he now recognizes that he sometimes crossed the line.

Cowell, a member of the original judging panel alongside Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, said he eventually realized he had “probably gone too far.” He admitted he was “sorry” for his behavior — specifically, as he put it, “being a dick.”

“I wasn’t trying to be a dick on purpose,” he explained. “My goal was to find artists worth signing. So when people came in who clearly couldn’t sing, I treated it the way we did in real auditions — you tell them after ten seconds that they can’t sing. Not, ‘You’re going to be brilliant.’”

Asked about the difference between blunt critique and humiliation — and about the viral compilations of his harshest takedowns online — Cowell said this is precisely why he changed his approach over time.

“I did realize I’d probably gone too far,” he said. “Audition days were long and boring. I’d get fed up. And out of a hundred nice comments, of course they’re going to use the ones where I’m in a bad mood. I get that. What can I say? I’m sorry.”

When pressed on what, exactly, he was apologizing for, Cowell didn’t hesitate:
“Well, just being a dick.”

He added that those moments don’t represent who he is now: “That was then. I’m not proud of it. I avoid watching those clips, and when I hear about them, I just think, ‘Oh God.’ But the upside is that it helped make the show incredibly popular worldwide.”

The interview comes ahead of Cowell’s new Netflix series, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which follows his efforts to create the next global boyband. Cowell is known for forming One Direction, Fifth Harmony, and discovering artists such as Leona Lewis.

In a separate Nov. 24 conversation with Rolling Stone, Cowell said everyone in his position eventually regrets something they’ve said. But he insisted that honesty remains essential.

“It’s kinder to be clear with someone who has zero talent,” he said. “If you can’t sing, you’re not magically going to become the world’s biggest pop star. The show is supposed to be honest. I’m not going to give people fake hope.”

He added that he would be equally honest with his own son: “If Eric said, ‘Dad, I want to sing,’ and he was off-key, I’d tell him, ‘Darling, you can’t sing.’ I wouldn’t lie.”

Simon Cowell: The Next Act premieres December 10.