Simon Cowell has confessed he was 'horrible' to Susan Boyle during her famous Britain's Got Talent audition in 2009, but has defended his behaviour, saying he believed she was a professional comedian.
The clip, which has been viewed hundreds of millions of times, showed Cowell and fellow judge Piers Morgan exchanging sceptical looks before Boyle's stunning performance of 'I Dreamed a Dream.' Cowell now says that reaction was intended to demonstrate 'you cannot judge a book by its cover.'
Speaking on Fox to promote the new season of America's Got Talent, Cowell said he 'absolutely adores' Boyle and credited her with doing more good for the show than any other contestant. He also reflected on the judges' response during a podcast, calling it 'awful and horrible.'
Cowell, now a father, also revealed that for the first time he invited AGT contestants to his Malibu home, allowing them to relax and even take a shower. He described the experience as a chance to get to know them better.
