Overview
- In a New York Times podcast interview released Nov. 29, Cowell apologized for insulting contestants, saying, "What can I say? I'm sorry" and "just being a dick."
- He said his early bluntness reflected pressure to identify artists worth signing and fears the show would not be recommissioned.
- Cowell described long, tiring audition days and editing that highlighted his most negative remarks, adding he later recognized he had crossed a line.
- He acknowledged that viral compilations of his harshest critiques boosted the shows’ global popularity, though he now finds those clips uncomfortable to watch.
- The remarks arrive as he promotes Netflix’s Simon Cowell: The Next Act, premiering Dec. 10, and he also noted that he and Ryan Seacrest "rarely talk now."