Simon Cowell has admitted he treated Susan Boyle 'horribly' during her iconic 2009 Britain's Got Talent audition, expressing no regret over his blunt judging style. Speaking on the podcast Tales from the Celebrity Trenches, the music mogul recalled how he and fellow judges Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan initially dismissed the singer before she stunned them with her rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream'.
Cowell described watching the audition back as a 'wakeup call', acknowledging they looked 'disgusting' and 'horrible'. He noted that the edited version actually made them appear kinder than they were, saying, 'I remember saying, I don't think we look bad enough. I think we were even worse than that.' The judge credited Boyle's success as a lesson in not judging a book by its cover.
In a separate revelation, Cowell admitted he still worries about money despite his wealth, claiming he is 'not even close' to being a billionaire. He confessed to having 'p**sed away so much money' on extravagances like a £2,000 bath, adding, 'I still worry about money, because I know what it feels like when you've got absolutely nothing.'
The judge's comments come nearly two decades after Boyle finished runner-up to Diversity in the talent show's third series. Cowell concluded by saying he had the ability to cut the harsh moments but chose to show them, leading to an on-air apology.
