7 things we learned from our chat with Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell has admitted that he’s “got a bit softer” when it comes to the new series of Britain’s Got Talent, but have we really seen the last of Mr. Nasty?
With the tenth season of BGT set to hit ITV this Saturday, Simon has even claimed that filming the show has even made him “like the country more”.
But, just what has caused his sudden change of heart? What does he really think of fellow Judge Amanda Holden? And what would his magic power be? Find out below…
1. Becoming a father has made Simon soft!
When asked how he’s changed since the first series, Simon claimed: “I see clips from the earlier shows sometimes and I’m like, ‘Maybe I was a little bit hard on those people!’ But if you are going to be a judge on a show then you have to judge, there’s no point saying to someone you like it if it’s terrible. I think I know when something is good and entertaining or when something is boring. So I find it quite easy now. But have I changed? I’ve maybe got a bit softer now that I have Eric (his son) and my dogs!”
2. Shocker! Amanda Holden never cries off camera
Reflecting on working with Amanda for the past 10 years, Simon said: “She has an incredible sense of humour, always fun, always up, loves being on the show. She’s like something out of a Carry On movie, everything is a double entendre, like those postcards you can buy from Blackpool, that’s Amanda. I do love her. Amanda is exactly the same off camera as she is on, there is no difference other than she doesn’t cry in real life! I’ve never seen Amanda cry off camera! She saves it for the camera.”
3. He wishes he could make a certain someone disappear
Speaking of the calibre of magicians on this year’s show, Simon noted that he’s “starting to believe that people do have magic powers" before adding that if he had magical powers, “he’d make someone disappear for a while, you know who. Just to have that ability to go, ‘Do you know what? Just disappear for five minutes’ and do it, or maybe ten minutes”. We wonder who he could possibly be talking about?!
4. David actually 'hates' comedians
Despite being a funnyman himself, Simon has claimed that David strongly dislikes comedy acts, confessing: “I don’t like comics, more importantly David hates them. He says he likes them but I watch him when there is someone who is funny and he’s got quite narrow eyes anyway but they almost shut because if someone else is making the audience laugh he sulks. He pretends he likes them but he actually hates them.”
5. Previous Got Talent winners from other countries have auditioned this year
When asked if he thinks viewers will believe these acts have an unfair advantage in the competition, Simon said: "They might think that and they may not vote. I don’t think it does any harm injecting some people who have already won the competition in other countries because I think it makes everyone else work that bit harder. At the end of the day we don’t control it, the public do, it’s their choice. Whatever we do, there will be criticism. If we don’t have acts from other countries, why don’t you? If you do, then why are you? If it’s good for the competition then we should encourage it."
6. He likes to wind up hosts Ant and Dec!
Simon admitted: "I work late, they are used to working early, so sometimes we don’t finish until one in the morning and I am watching them in the wings. They are literally banging their heads against a wall going, ‘Get us out of here Simon’. So I deliberately slow things down and ask loads of very slow questions to wind them up." See, he's still Mr. Nasty!
7. He’s not BFFs with the Royal Family
We can’t quite believe this either! When asked if he’s had any feedback on the show from the Royal Family, Simon admitted: “I don’t hang out with the Royals! The fact is though, they have allowed us to put an act on the Royal Variety, because they could have said no after three or five years, but they like it. It’s a big deal for the contestants. Again, with the overseas contestants they all say they would love the chance to perform in front of the Royal family because that’s a unique prize.” Here’s us thinking Simon was a regular at Buckingham Palace…
You can catch more from Simon when Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV this Saturday (April 9) at 7pm.