personality
. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol
, The X Factor
, Britain's Got Talent
and American Idol
. He is also the owner of the television production and music publishing house Syco
.
As a judge, Cowell is known for his blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their abilities.
You know Paula Abdul|Paula, who I couldn't look at the beginning of the series... I love her to death now. I hate to admit it but I do.
Sinitta and Jackie are my family now. I don't think of them as ex-girlfriends anymore. They are an extension of my life... It must be infuriating, but I'd never change because my ex-girlfriends are so close I couldn't imagine life without them.
Normally, they want me to be rude to them. People come up to me and sing, and I say "That was great. Thank you." And they're like "Well, aren't you going to be rude to me?" No! When I miss auditions, contestants get upset that I'm not there, because they expect me to be cruel to them — it's some sort of badge of honor. That's how crazy everything is.
If I tape an 11-hour day, guess which parts end up on air. Not the bits when I'm pleasant, but the parts when I'm obnoxious.