Simon Cowell
News (Page 5)

Simon Cowell wasn't always mean.

In fact, the American Idol judge used to be shy and intimidated by fame. He recently admitted regret for not speaking up when he had the chance early in his career - and thereby putting an end to pop dreams of Eddie Murphy.

The caustic American Idol co-creator was hired to help Murphy hit the high notes in the early 1980s. How now admits he wishes he had the nerve back then to tell the star he was terrible.

"He (Murphy) was interested in making a record, so I flew to his huge house, and I was very intimidated. I thought it would be just the two of us and a hi-fi. But I ended up in a recording studio with about 20 nodders; a nodder is someone who gets paid to agree with the person paying him," Cowell said. "Eddie started to play some songs, which I hated, and I just didn't know what to say. Now I'd find it a lot easier. I would just say, 'I hate it.'"

He's certainly proven as much with his recent criticism of Bob Dylan.

Come on, Simon, we were just willing to give you a break after listening to Paula Abdul sing your praises.

But now the Idol judge has come out with a snub that will have Bob Dylan fans blowin' in the wind with rage: he likes Kelly Clarkson better than the singing legend.

"Do I prefer Kelly Clarkson's music to Bob Dylan's? Yes. I've never bought a Dylan record. A singing poet? It just bores me to tears," Cowell tells February's Playboy.

The straight-shooting American Idol judge adds: "I've got to tell you, if I had 10 Dylans in the final of American Idol, we would not be getting 30 million viewers a week. I don't believe the Bob Dylans of this world would make American Idol a better show."

The 47-year-old Brit, who begins his sixth season Tuesday with the smash Fox talent contest that made Clarkson a winner in 2002, says he knows a lot of people think he's a big jerk for his acerbic, in-your-face opinions - and admits they may be right.

"Based on public opinion, yeah, I am. If half the people think I'm a [bleep]hole, then I'm half a [bleep]hole."

Maybe Simon Cowell isn't the meanest person in the world.

After all, fellow judge Paula Abdul says that she might have been fired from American Idol if Cowell hadn't come to her rescue.

In today's New York Post, Paula says that when allegations surfaced that she'd had an inappropriate affair with Corey Clark during Idol's second season, it was Cowell who ultimately stepped up for her.

"He was extremely distraught and protective and supportive of me when that happened," says Abdul. "There's the times when he's like a big brother – or a lover."

Of course, as Americal Idol fans know well, Paula also said it's not all wine and roses with Cowell:

"When he's just annoyed, I get the brunt of it."

But, wait a minute, did she say lover?!?

Take a look below: Simon Cowell isn't a meanie ALL of the time!

Sure, the man may often make snide remarks about American Idol hopefuls, but it looks like he has the occasional softer side. Especially when it comes to cute puppies. That's gotta count for something, right?

He has a few weeks until the new season of American Idol begins.

So you can't blame judge Simon Cowell for enjoying a few moments free of booing crowds and bad singers, can you? Seen here, he's riding around the waves in Barbados.

Soon enough, fans will be riding his loud mouth for various mean-spirited comments. We can't wait.

With NBC's "Grease: You're The One That I Want weeks away from its debut, American Idol producer Simon Cowell has announced he will similarly cast the leads for a West End production of that fifties-friendly musical.

Cowell's production company, Syco TV, will co-produce the show slated to air on ITV. The stage production is scheduled to hit the West End in summer 2007.

Producer David Ian — who will appear as a judge on "Grease: You're The One That I Want" — has also been lined up to appear as the lead judge on the new ITV show. The impresario will also produce the stage show with Paul Nicholas and TalkbackThames.

ITV and Cowell secured the stage rights for Grease for a London West End run. The show will witness auditioners competing for the leads of Sandy and Danny in the forthcoming production.

Who knows, if an American Idol singer from season six doesn't win it all this year, maybe he/she now has a back up plan ...

It's almost that time again.

Our favorite show is getting close to returning, and USA Today has the scheduling scoop for American Idol Season 6. Air dates for the audition rounds start with a pair of two-hour episodes January 16-17, with the ensuing "Hollywood" rounds (or wherever in the L.A. megalopolis the judges actually narrow down the auditiion winners) will be broadcast February 6, 7, 13 and 14.

The newspaper caught up with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe (right), who promises some of the worst singers ever this season, but swears the producers can tell the difference between sincerely deluded bad singers and performers trying to contrive their way onto the show and gain 15 minutes of fame by being deliberately awful.

In other words, don't hold your breath for the second coming of William Hung... but you never can tell.

In any case, Simon Cowell, who hated the auditioners in Seattle and (not surprisingly) has said so in no uncertain terms, is sure to be annoyed beyond comprehension when the show gets underway.

Which is part of the reason we love watching, of course.

On the flip side, Simon Cowell insists he loves Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest -- although Lythgoe counters that the fearsome foursome "always get on each other's nerves... they never behave well."

That doesn't stop them from delivering on the business end, however. Lythgoe modestly calls the American Idol judge team "the best judging panel of (any) show in the world," and wryly observes about the auditions, "There was a lot of sucking up going on -- which we encourage."

Simon is clearly in mid-season form already.

Leave it to Simon Cowell to mock a guy on anti-anxiety medication.

When commenting on Clay Aiken's admittance that he takes the anti-depressant Paxil to deal with the fame he won on American Idol, the surly one definitely didn't hold back in a recent interview.

"Oh give me a break. Let me have a choice, I'm going to work in a coal mine for 14 hours a day or I'm going to be a runner-up on American Idol. Give me a break, idiot."

While judge Paula Abdul and celebrity guest judge Olivia Newton-John both stuck up for the season two runner-up, Cowell kept the insults rolling.

"They're not working for a living, they're becoming famous... no one's put a gun to their head... Clay, whatever he may have said, would not swap what he's got now for what he had three years ago."

Way to be sympathetic. Simon's attitude clearly provides Idol with a certain spark, but it would be nice if he would show a little sensitivity off-screen. Clay will surely take the high road on this because that's the kind of person he is, but it's still sad he has to put up with it. He is going through enough right now, and has a great new CD out. People should focus on that and let him live his life.

Hey, you don't like hearing from mean Simon Cowell on the air? Turns out he doesn't like sitting on the American Idol panel very much, either.

"I probably enjoy behind the scenes [more] than being on it," Cowell told reporters yesterday. "I never went into this business to be on TV."

That may seem surprising to those that think Cowell craves attention, but think about it: he's the calmest of the three judges, isn't he? You don't see him standing and cheering, like Paula Abdul, or amping up his "dawgs," like Randy Jackson.

These days, Simon is busy producing Idol and another NBC reality hit, American's Got Talent.

The new season of the latter will include a few twists, he said, including adding a "boot camp" to help boost the images of nonsingers during the final rounds of the show.

"I think you're going to see quite a different structure to the show," Cowell said, adding that Regis Philbin will be back as host.

"We're working around Regis' schedule now," he said. "I think we can make it work."

Two of American Idol's best known personalities have made the short list for the inaugural Top 49 Men of 2006 at AskMen.com. We may pretend to hate Simon Cowell, but secretly, a lot of us wish we could be in his shoes. As for the other Idol star to make the list, Clay Aiken? We know never to underestimate any measure of this man.

Out over 15,000 names submitted to the popular site by its readers, the list has been narrowed down to 100. The purpose of the poll is to find out which of these men readers consider to be the best representatives of the gender. Who among them best exemplifies what it means to be a man? Do you want Simon and or Clay to make the final cut? If so, you can vote here.