Simon Cowell has admitted he was 'horrible' to Susan Boyle, revealing his shame over how he acted during her first audition on Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Nearly twenty years after the unlikely superstar stepped onto the stage and delivered a stunning performance, the viral moment continues to haunt the music mogul.
Simon Cowell's Regret
In a candid interview on the Tales From The Celebrity Trenches podcast, Cowell confessed that the response from the judges—himself, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan—was 'awful and horrible.' He said: 'I look back and I just think, my God we look so awful, horrible. I actually don't think we look bad enough. I think we were even worse than that.'
Cowell added: 'I mean that look that Piers gives me, I think out of all the looks I've ever remembered that might be the worst. I was just as bad.' He admitted he had the authority to cut the brutal reaction from the episode but chose to keep it as a wake-up call for himself and the other judges.
Susan Boyle's Experience
Susan, now 65, was met with disapproving faces from the audience and panel. She later told the Irish Mirror that she felt like a 'circus freak' during her audition. 'It felt quite suffocating, almost as though I was an act in a freak show, and that hurt,' she said.
Despite losing to dance group Diversity, Boyle went on to sell 23 million albums, achieve number one hits in the UK and US, and enter the Guinness World Records. Ten years after her original appearance, she returned to the show and was warmly greeted by Cowell on stage.
A Wake-Up Call
Amanda Holden also expressed regret at the time, saying: 'I honestly think we were all being really cynical and I think that's the biggest wake-up call ever.' Cowell echoed this on the podcast: 'We do look disgusting but you have to hold your hands up at that moment and go, a lot of people are going to realise in about 24 hours that we are just horrible.'
The singer recently bought a new home near her manager, and her career continues to thrive.
