Music executive, T.V. producer and T.V. personality Simon Cowell spoke with Concrete Loop on Tuesday afternoon in promotion of X-Factor finally coming to the United States. The series (which is already popular in a number of countries), will premiere on FOX this upcoming September. Simon also spoke about the new season of American Idol, confessing that he only watched one episode.
Check out our exclusive interview below and also make sure to keep reading for details on upcoming auditions.
CL EXCLUSIVE w/ SIMON COWELL
ANGEL: Hey Simon! How are you doing?
SIMON: I’m very well indeed, Angel. How are you?
ANGEL: I’m pretty good, pretty good. So I know you’re excited about The X Factor finally coming to the states. For those of us who aren’t familiar with it, can you explain the difference between The X Factor and American Idol?
SIMON: Well look first of all, you’ve got to see the show I think to really see the difference. I’ve worked from both shows. I’ve done the UK version of X Factor and Idol simultaneously. Although they’re both talent shows, they’re very very different shows. But to anyone who hasn’t see this before, the main difference is that the lower age range is twelve, there’s no upper age limit and vocal groups are allowed to enter this competition as well. And in the final part of the show, the judges get to mentor three contestants each, so that you’re actually totally responsible for what that artist does at the later(ship?) part of the show.
ANGEL: Oh yeah. I remember watching some of Leona Lewis a few years ago on Youtube, like some of those, you know coming to the house and her being mentored by you and someone else. I thought that was pretty cool.
SIMON Yeah, but it also puts the judges in the competition as well. It’s a more fun show to be on. In addition to that, we’ve put up a $5 million dollar cash prize for the winner of the show as well.
ANGEL: Wow! Okay! And they get a contract with Sony as well, right?
SIMON:…and in addition to that, you get a recording contract with Sony. Yeah. So you know, it’s a show worth winning.
ANGEL: So I read that Mariah Carey was initially supposed to be one of the judges, but with her pregnancy she wouldn’t be able to do it anymore. So do you have anyone else in mind to fill that spot?
SIMON: We’ve been talking to a number of people. We announced our third judge last week and it’s a guy called L.A. Reid…
ANGEL: Oh, we know who LA. Reid is. [laughs]
SIMON: [laughs] Okay, well LA is my third guy.
ANGEL: Well that’s going to be interesting.
SIMON: Yeah and LA, I have so much respect for him. He is probably the number one hit maker in the world right now, and the fact that he has agreed to join the show as one of the judges mentors is fantastic.
ANGEL: I read a rumor that the girl from Pussycat Dolls, Nicole…
SIMON: Scherzinger…
ANGEL: Yeah I heard that she was pursuing to get the title or…
SIMON: We’ve spoken to a lot of people and we’ve had a lot of meetings. As I said LA was the 3rd announcement and I’m guess in the next week or so we’ll announce the final two.
ANGEL: Okay. How do you feel about these other singing competitions that are jumping off with other celebrity judges, kind of biting off X Factor and American Idol?
SIMON: I’ve seen this happen for years. The same thing happened in the UK. Everybody tried to do it, but at the end of the day, either the good ones survive and the weak ones fall away. We’ve gone into just believing that, you know…well we said we’re going to try. We’re going to try to make this the best of the lot. And we’re going to put everything into it. You will see once the show starts, it’s going to look different to anything else you’ve see before.
ANGEL: I have one final question. It’s pretty much about American Idol. How do you feel about this season with the new judges, and you’re not on there anymore being a part of it…?
SIMON: Well I’ve only watched one episode…Umm, I mean It’s like watching a completely different show…
ANGEL: It really is!
SIMON: Yeah, I mean they, they’re all happy…
ANGEL: [laughs] That’s true.
SIMON: [laughs] Umm…You know, look, it’s, you know it was a different show than what I was used to and I watched it just to see how much different we’re going to be and it’s going to be a lot different.
ANGEL: Yeah, I have to say, I stopped watching American Idol about 3, 4 seasons ago, but I watched this new season to see the difference as well and you definitely made the show…you now, they’re pretty much done. [laughs]
SIMON: Well thank you, Angel. [smiles] Well he good news is we’re going to come back with something different and I hope you enjoy. I think you will.
ANGEL: We will. Alright well thank you, Simon!
SIMON: Nice to talk to you, sweetheart.
ANGEL: You as well.
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES FOR THE X-FACTOR? CHECK OUT THE AUDITION INFO BELOW.
FOR MORE INFO VISIT THE OFFICIAL SITE.
Nice job, congrats on the interview.
I agree, two thumbs up. Sounds like it was a great interview. Was Simon as down to earth as he seemed reading this interview?
Wow CL is really doing it big! I always knew that CL was a successful and popular urban blog, but to interview an A List star like Simon Cowell…. that’s crazy! Very nice interview Angel. I don’t understand why people say Simon is mean; he seems pretty nice and down-to-earth. I can’t wait until X-Factor comes on because A.I. sucks now, especially since they have “can’t sing JNO” on there.
LOOOOL “CAN’T SING JNO” I DIED at that comment and i agree with you. Simon was always my favorite i always thought he was the most honest of the bunch, and you know what they say truth hurts.
Simon is a nice dude, people just like to paint him as some mean guy. He really isn’t.
Big devil worshiper this man is, Simon Cowell. The “X” Factor is code for the Osiris factor. “X” is symbolic for the worship of the sun god, or light-bearer “Lucifer”.
Why doesn’t that surprise me
Cool interview!
The show in the U.K has become a farce in the U.K, with the best series and year being when Alexandra Burke won. Last year in the U.K the show was filled with scandals of auto tuning, miming, exploitation of vulnerable people, picking less talented over more talented and judge favoritism (Simon & Cheryl against the others)
If you get Cheryl Cole this show will be a farce! Also she has a criminal record so shouldn’t be allowed in the country.
Simon has become a bore and says the same comments year after year. We need fresh people in the game
I don’t get the J.Lo hate. & the show is actually doing well without him & better than last season.
The show has become a joke in the UK and that is down to the desperation of Simon.He allowed it to loose credibility allowing miming, poor acts to go through and pushing the dreadful Cher and Katie.
I really hope though that this will be an oppurtunity to get Alexandra launched in the US.
Alexandra Burke is Rubbish from time JLS is doing better than her and they never even won the series.
I’m about 60% sure this will be the FINAL season of American Idol. I mean 10 years, is a long time. It had a good run, but Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are the final straw. They don’t give good criticism at all, everyone can’t be good! It’s so horrible to watch.
Go Angel! Congrats on this interview! Your ambition is an inspiration!!
Whoa this is a big deal! Congrats on the interview
Yep the show has become a farce over here in the UK. You have those performers that can’t sing, can’t dance, can’t act, can’t speak properly, look bad, and they go on the live shows, and actually go very far… And this goes under ‘but they’ve got the X Factor. We don’t know what it is, but they’ve got it!’
I know VERY WELL what I’m talking about, having been involved with last year’s UK show (contestant? researcher? producer? who cares??).
I do genuinely believe that show just kills the real spirit of music, and makes little celebrities that are doomed to do music they don’t even like themselves. Some boyband One Direction on last year’s show are recording now with RedOne in LA, and… they don’t even like it. What they like is the idea of being rich and famous. Is that what music is about?
The X Factor is really not the future of music. Judges don’t mentor for shit, they may talk to you as a contestant on the day of the dress rehearsals and perhaps on the actual show, but that’s about it. The press office sells stories about the contestants, try google Katie Waissel and look at how they’ve ruined her in the UK, even selling the fact her nan used to be a porn star…
The X Factor is karaoke backing tracks that actual producers re-make so it sounds slightly better, only the Sony BMG songs catalogue is used on the live shows, some contestants are just SHOCKING…
I’m not saying don’t watch it, all I’m saying is don’t believe everything you see and always strive to have an opinion on it. Please.
Oh and I forgot, most contestants mime and are auto-tuned, especially on choruses… The backing vocals are turned up so high that you can’t hear the contestants…
I love Simon ♥, dont care for Reid (arrogant SOB).
Darn I wish I can sing !
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