Simon Cowell Knows He Was a “D*ck” on ‘American Idol’—and He’s Not Proud of It

While Simon Cowell’s cruel critiques were part of the appeal of ‘American Idol’, the judge wasn’t proud of his attitude on the show.

When Simon Cowell took his seat behind the judge’s table on American Idol, the audience knew some poor singer would be judged harshly.

His cutting critiques became part of the show’s appeal, but Cowell now shares that he’s not proud of his on-camera attitude.

Simon Says He’s Sorry

Many people tuned in to American Idol to watch contestants bomb in front of Cowell. However, the record executive recently told The New York Times he wasn’t proud of how he delivered his opinions.

“What can I say? I’m sorry. Just being a d*ck … I’m not proud of it,” said Cowell. “Let’s put it that way. I never look at this stuff online or anything. You know, I’m not someone who particularly wants to see myself on camera.”

Cowell explained that his harsh criticisms weren’t always a reflection of the contestant’s abilities. Instead, much of the pressure came from needing to find someone captivating enough to keep viewers engaged throughout the season.

“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,” says Cowell.

Although American Idol is still on air, Cowell has since moved on to other opportunities. Reflecting on his experience, he acknowledged why his pointed criticisms continue to resonate with audiences today.

He said, “When I hear about these clips, I’m like, ‘Oh God.’ But then again, the upside is, I suppose, with these clips, is that it made the shows really popular worldwide.”

A Sampling Of Some of Simon Cowell’s Harshest Critiques

Here is a sampling of some of the monstrous missives uttered by Cowell during his time on American Idol:

“Last year, I described someone as being the worst singer in America. I think you’re possibly the worst singer in the world.”
“You have the personality of a handle.”
“If you had lived 2,000 years ago and sung like that, I think they would have stoned you.”
“It was a bit like ordering a hamburger and only getting the bun.”
“I’m tempted to ask if you sang that the night before your wife left you.”
“There’s as much chance of you being a pop star or a rock star as me flying to the moon tomorrow morning for breakfast.”

Carrie Underwood responds candidly to Simon Cowell’s criticism of ‘American Idol’

Carrie Underwood remains one of the most iconic winners in American Idol history. It certainly helps that her music is worth listening to. She doesn’t merely exist in the world of singing competitions like plenty of other contestants before and after her. The competition made her a superstar, one of biggest female artists of all time in country music.

However, this did not completely save Underwood from criticism, especially from a judge as strict as Simon Cowell. To this day, Carrie still thinks about what he said..

Particularly, she recalls singing “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. In the clip, Simon praises Underwood’s take on the record but did find it to be “robotic.” Clearly, this didn’t affect her too bad, especially since she still wonAmerican Idolin the end. Still, she responds pretty firmly to Cowell’s critique in three simple words: “He wasn’t wrong.”

Carrie Underwood Admits Simon Cowell Was Right in His Criticism of Her American Idol Performance

“I will say he wasn’t wrong. I feel like in these moments — I mean, it was top five — I don’t know if it’s the time to go out on a limb and do anything crazy,” Underwood adds. ‘So like, picking something that you’re comfortable with, but then trying to work with the staging. ‘But then also — I consider myself a vocalist, like I want to sing things well. And if I ever try to think too much about what I’m doing on stage, I feel like my vocals suffer. So [Simon] was not wrong.”

That’s pretty big of Carrie to admit. It’s incredibly easy for her to get caught up in her own pride, especially with all of her success. However, she’s likely one of those people that can always be their own worst critic. Additionally, it probably helps that Underwood knows what it’s like to be in Simon’s position now. Evidently, these experiences will make her a better judge in the long run.