Lulu Garcia Navarro (3:27)

And the second thing you just touched on that occurred to me while I was watching you. You were the only judge turning around and actually engaging with the audience in between takes. And, you know, in reading about you, I read that your dad always told you when you were really young, how important it is to make people feel important.

Simon Cowell (3:47)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (3:48)

And I was wondering if you're still taking that advice to heart.

Simon Cowell (3:50)

Yeah, very much so, yeah. I mean, you know, from the minute you walk, I walk into, like, the set. I think because of what my dad said years ago, it really stuck in my mind that you have to be aware of genuine, literally every single person who's around you, you know, whether they're security, whether whoever they are, and obviously without the audience there or watching, then you don't get paid. So you got to be nice to them. And I say this to all my artists, you know, I work with, you know, which is, if you ever lose sight of that, if you start complaining about privacy, photographs, autographs, then honestly, you're in the wrong job. Because the minute you put a song out, or you go on TV or you. Or you make a movie, whatever, then of course your life is going to change. But ironically, the audience are paying for your salary, so you can't not talk to them or be nice to them.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (4:48)

You know, speaking of your dad, he was an executive at emi, the big record label and music publishing company. And his job, though, was to manage real estate. He wasn't actually a creative, so to speak. What did he think you'd become when you were young? What did he hope for you?

Simon Cowell (5:07)

It was so random what they thought I could do because I was so terrible at school. I just didn't like it. I found it boring. I did everything I could to get out of it. I wanted to leave at 16, and I did. I think I left on my 16th birthday. Cause I just. I Thought, I'm just. Nothing's digesting here. And they were concerned because I didn't pass any of my exams, so they just tried to get me a job. So my dad, because like you said, he was in property, he took me up to one of these places up in the north of England where they teach you to become a builder. And so we went on this kind of huge building site, you know, with diggers and everything. And I thought, well, this looks fun. And then I had the second part of the interview where they told me what I had to learn about maths and this and that, and I thought, okay, well, forget that. And then my mum thought I should work for the civil service for some reason. And I had this really terrible, terrible job interview, which was worse than being at school. And then eventually a job came up as a runner at Elstree Studios, which is also a film. You know, it was a film studio, TV studios, and this was actually a TV show. So I managed to get a job for three months as a runner. And I actually just loved it from the minute I started. I mean, you literally do run, basically for everyone. Whatever they ask you to do, you run. And I loved it. I absolutely loved it.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (6:40)

You eventually end up going into the music industry.

Simon Cowell (6:44)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (6:45)

Doing A and R, which is basically being a talent scout. What was it about the music industry that you found compelling at that point? What. Why did you think that this was a place that you could actually kind of make your way?

Simon Cowell (6:57)

Well, I made a decision eventually just to get into tv, musical film. So I had the runner job. I did actually try and get a job as a runner on the Shining, which they were making. And for some reason, Stanley Kubrick, Don't Ask Me why, would never hire runners. So it must be some weird superstition or something. So I thought, okay. And then I applied to be in the post room at a TV company and got turned down. And I'm like, how can you turn someone down to be in the mail room? I mean, at 17 or something? But they did. And then fortunately, my mum, I think she just wrote to EMI and said, my son wants to be in the music business. And again, you had to go for a proper job interview. You know, the guy was called personnel in those days. The guy had a star on his door. I remember that. And it was really cool because it wasn't just, you know, you've got to deliver mail. It was like, you know, what are your ambitions? Why do you want to be here? Blah, blah, blah. And I said, I really actually want to be in the music business. I don't know what yet, but I just love music. So this is just, you know, I hope I get that opportunity and I really will work hard. And when I got the news I got the job, it was like, yeah, brilliant. And you were how old I must have been then? About 18, 19. I guess.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (8:19)

You eventually work your way up and one of the things that you become pretty astute at is developing what is a broad view of what is culturally relevant. Back then, I mean, I read a quote that you boasted that you'd figure out what was going on not by going to dingy shows in basements, but by reading the sun, which is, of course, the storied British tabloid.

Simon Cowell (8:45)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (8:46)

And your first success came with the singer sunita in the mid-1980s. And I want to ask you about something in particular, because you were promoting her music initially by going to gay clubs and trying to get it played there.

Simon Cowell (9:01)

Mm.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (9:03)

What did you understand about who were the real cultural tastemakers that perhaps other people weren't understanding?

Simon Cowell (9:10)

That's a good question. So when I worked with Sunita, I thought, she's gonna become a gay icon. I could see that. So we've got to find her a record that is a crossover record that we can break from the gay clubs, because, you know, a lot of clubs we would go to, you know, some would. They just didn't get it right. So I kind of thought, this is fun, you know. So I used to take white labels, acetates, basically a vinyl record, and go into the DJ booth and just watch the reaction as the record was played. And it was really interesting because that gave me more feedback than anything else as to whether this record, you know, we were on the right track or not. And they loved this first record, although I just couldn't get it on radio. And there was a record I heard, actually it was Sunita's mum, actually, who recorded a song called so Many Men, which nearly was a hit. So many men.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (10:10)

So little tiny.

Simon Cowell (10:11)

Yeah. So many times time. It's a brilliant song. Yeah. All these songs are coming around at the same time. And I remember thinking, this is going to be big and we've just got to just jump on this wave somehow and use the clubs to get this record into the top 40. Because if I could get the record in the top 40, then radio were forced to play it, you know, on the. On the national countdown. So eventually got in the top 40 and then it got played and then more radio stations played and then eventually it went. I don't know, number two or something.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (10:45)

So there's two things about this story that are interesting. The first is you like to do an end run around gatekeepers. Clearly. And the second thing I think about this story is that, you know, you ended up becoming well known for then signing acts that, you know, a lot of people saw as gimmicky. You signed the Power Rangers WrestleMania, you made music from that. And you have what I think is this sort of bottom up approach to the business, which is, let's see what's popular and then elevate it. Where do you think that that came from, that understanding of, you know, let's take what's popular, not be precious about it and try and put it out into the world?

Simon Cowell (11:28)

Well, all I was thinking was I've just got to keep. I've got to keep a job.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (11:35)

Got to keep the lights on.

Simon Cowell (11:36)

I've got to keep the lights on. Exactly. Yeah. I've got to get paid. And I know what it feels like to be broke because I was broke and I didn't want to go back there again. So I just.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (11:44)

I mean, you lost your apartment. At a certain point you lost, I mean, everything. Everything. Your car, you had to move in with your parents again.

Simon Cowell (11:50)

Yeah, thank God. My parents were very understanding and they were like, well, just use it. This is a lesson, Simon. You know, credit cards you gotta pay back, mortgages you gotta pay back. So, you know, everything was kind of borrowed. So, you know, I lost everything, went back, I did a deal with a bank, got a loan, got a label deal. And at that point I just thought, right, I don't wanna go back to there again. So I'm gonna do whatever I can to sell records knowing it's the music business. Cause we did used to go to these A and R meetings and a lot of the guys, the A and R people would have a job. Cause they, they were cooler than everybody else. Actually. A lot of them were just idiots. They thought they were cool. They were just guessing. And if you dare to play something you they didn't like, you were like. They used to like sneer at me, laugh at me. I mean, I remember once, you know, playing as you said that Power Rangers record. Because my boss at the time said, look, we need to look at our last quarter. Who's got any hits? So I held my hand up and I said, well, I just sound the Power Rangers. Snigger, snigger, snigger. And I've signed these two puppets. And so she actually went to this PowerPoint presentation, you know, this Whiteboard and wrote zero, that is zero revenue without hearing them. So I thought, well, I'll just get on with it myself.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (13:17)

But you understood something about the business, which is IP from things that aren't necessarily in music. It could translate, it could be valuable, it could be people would like it.

Simon Cowell (13:28)

Yeah, well, with these IPs, when I knew that they'd sold out Wembley Stadium, the wrestlers, in 30 seconds, that's 80,000 seats, I, I just went, well, whoever loves wrestling, there's a lot of music, you know, on these shows. I think they're going to buy the record. But I actually like those records myself, so I just thought they're catchy, they're fun, you don't take it too seriously. But more importantly that we were selling millions and millions of records.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (14:01)

Your first sort of huge hit happens with the Irish boy band Westlife. And you see them for the first time, you turn them down and you tell their sort of manager or the person who was heading the band that you didn't like them because some of the boys weren't very good looking and they took the note. They get rid of some of the boys and then when you saw them again, you signed them. And I'm just wondering when you're looking at a band like that back then and just in general, are looks more important than talent?

Simon Cowell (14:31)

Well, the first time I saw the boys, it was a mess. There was no chemistry, they didn't look right together. It didn't excite me, it was just that. And then the second time I saw them, the manager had styled them better, had replaced them within 30 seconds. Truthfully, I just turned around to him and I said, I don't need to hear anymore, we'll just do the deal tomorrow. And we did. And they could really sing, a couple of them in particular. So my job now is to find them hits. It was simple as that. And that's when the relationship I was developing with songwriters and producers actually was probably more important than anything else. No matter how good the idea is, the song is probably the most important factor in all of this. So when I heard when we got Westlife together, I heard a rumor that there was a song that somebody else was going to record. And someone told me this song is a killer song. And so I called up the two writers and I said, I here you've written this song, will you come over? He played me the demo and it's a no brainer, this song. And I thought, this is gonna catapult this life. And I said, I want the song we Promised it to someone else. And I actually locked the door. You what? I locked them in my office. And I said, you're not leaving until we do a deal.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (16:01)

That's a tactic.

Simon Cowell (16:02)

Yeah. And they looked at me like, you're mad. I'm not mad. You'll have a bigger hit with these boys than the other artists. Cause these are better singers.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (16:13)

All right. We've been talking about all your successes, but you've also had plenty of flops and a few missed opportunities during this particular period. The band Take that obviously, was a big one. And then Kylie Minow also was one that sort of got away. Was that your biggest regret, do you think?

Simon Cowell (16:36)

Well, I mean, my biggest regret in terms of missing out was probably the Spice Girls. They were mentioned in an A and R meeting. They were called Spice then. And somebody said, we're hearing about this band called Spice. Cause they were literally turning up all the labels, and there was a buzz about them. Two of the A and R guys held their hands up and said, we're on it. I'm on it. So I'm thinking, okay, I'm too late. And then by chance, a few weeks later, I went to a meeting, the people who used to promote our records, and the girls happened to be in a van. And they knew who I was. I don't know why or how, but they just did. Dragged me into the van and played me the demo of Wannabe. And I'm like, oh, my God, they're gonna be huge. And got in my car, got back to the office, called the manager, and I said, if you haven't signed a deal, I'll double whatever you've been offered. He said, we signed yesterday. Now, I don't know whether that was true or not, but that was really, really hard. Yeah. Yeah. When I saw that blow up, I'm like, God. But every time, you know, something like that happens, weirdly, it just makes you more determined, I think.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (17:53)

So let's fast forward a little bit to American Idol. Reading your autobiography, one of the things that sort of jumped out at me is that you really struggled with how the public was initially perceiving you. You know, that bluntness that you brought to the show that you really pushed to sort of incorporate once it became the mega hit that it became. You started reading this feedback, and it caused you to kind of doubt yourself and later, be nicer on the show for a little bit, which I don't remember this period by the. I don't think you were ever particularly nice on the show, but you sort of Clocked that it made the show seem inauthentic.

Simon Cowell (18:34)

I wasn't trying to be a dick on purpose. All I wanted with these shows was to find successful artists to sign to the label. So when all these people were coming in and they couldn't sing, you know, like we used to do off camera, I would be like, when I used to do auditions, someone would come in and they can't sing. We would say after 10 seconds, you can't sing. Not you're gonna be brilliant and everything else. So I was frustrated at the beginning. Cause I thought if we don't find someone good at the end of these shows, they're not gonna get recommissioned.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (19:09)

Well, there are a lot of Simon Cowell insult compilations from American Idol online, you'll be happy to know. You told singers they'd invented a new form of torture. You made some fat jokes, Lulu, do.

Simon Cowell (19:23)

We have to go through this?

Lulu Garcia Navarro (19:24)

Yes, we have to go through it. And then the camera would sort of cut to people looking absolutely crushed. I mean, what is the line, do you think, between bluntness and humiliation?

Simon Cowell (19:36)

I've got to be honest with you. That's why I did change over time. I mean, I did realize I'd probably gone too far, and I don't need to be. Look, I was. Honestly, I was just. I was frustrated. I didn't particularly. I still don't like audition days because they're long and boring. I would get fed up. And of course, you know, out of 100 nice comments, what are they going to use? They're always going to use, you know, me being in a bad mood. I got that. What can I say? I'm sorry.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (20:14)

What are you apologizing for exactly?

Simon Cowell (20:16)

Well, just being a dick.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (20:18)

But it also made good tv, and it made you into an integral part of what made that show work.

Simon Cowell (20:27)

Yeah. Yeah, that was then. I'm not proud of it, let's put it that way. I don't look at this. Look, I never look at this stuff online or anything. You know, I'm not someone who particularly wants to see myself on camera, you know, so when I hear about these clips, I'm like, oh, God. But then again, the upside is, I suppose, with these clips, is that it made the shows really popular worldwide.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (20:58)

It also launched the career of Ryan Seacrest. And I'll be honest, I am mystified by how he is so ubiquitous and so popular. And I wanted you to be able to explain it.

Simon Cowell (21:13)

I can't really answer that one if I'm being honest with you. He does Work hard. Okay, Okay.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (21:19)

A lot of people work hard.

Simon Cowell (21:20)

Yeah. I don't know. Actually, he was very, very ambitious. And look, I don't follow his career, if I'm being honest with you. So I don't know what he's done or doing. You know, we rarely talk now. I always knew with Ryan, it was. He was like, very steely about his career, wanting to be famous. I mean, this massive, massive desire about being very famous.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (21:56)

Eventually, of course, you leave Idol to launch X Factor in the US which was your own project, and you recruited Britney Spears to be a judge on the show.

Simon Cowell (22:06)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (22:07)

And you spoke multiple times with her to get her to agree to that. You know, at the time, you know, she was under a conservatorship. I was wondering what you understood about her mental state, about what was going on around her.

Simon Cowell (22:22)

This is a fascinating story about her and me and the show, because somebody said, britney would be interested in working with you. And I'm like, really? And I said, well, would she talk to me on a call? Because I thought, it's never gonna happen. Yes. Friday night, 8 o'. Clock. Fine, she's gonna call you. So I'm waiting on the dot, she calls. And we spoke for two hours. And she was so fun, engaged, passionate, interesting, you know, just really, really wanted to do it, I think for the right reasons, which was I want to be a kind of a mentor. I'm like, brilliant. So then I went, I want a second call. Because maybe this was a fluke. So we have a second call. I think two weeks later, it's even better. I went, wow, whatever. I've heard about her. She is so smart, so nice, so friendly. I think we're gonna get on really, really well. Cut to. We do a press launch and Brittany's there, and she doesn't look that happy. And I said, what's the matter? She said, I didn't realize there was gonna be so much press around. And I went, well, it is a press launch. So I said, well, it's kind of a bit too late to say you don't really want to do the press now. So all I remember was there was a big tent and we were in two golf buggies. And I had to go, right. She was ahead of me. So as I went, right, she just went straight on because she didn't want to do the press. And then on the show, she really struggled with saying no to people. Just didn't like it. So the first day I sat with her and I said, look, there's two choices. If you really don't want to do this. I'll get you out of it. I really will. Or you've got to understand, I can't put 200 people in the final. It's just not going to happen. It comes down to two, which means, obviously we are going to say no to people Now. I'll say no more than you, but that's what we signed up for. And I got to know her when she came over to my house one time and we just talked and talked and talked and talked. Cause I really wanted to get inside her head. Was she happy? Was she unhappy? She wasn't happy. That's what I took away. It was like two different people, Lulu. And it was a shame.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (24:50)

I mean, she wrote in her memoir that she absolutely hated doing the show.

Simon Cowell (24:54)

Did she?

Lulu Garcia Navarro (24:54)

Yeah.

Simon Cowell (24:55)

That's a shame. I did say to the network, I don't know if she wants to do it, and if she doesn't, we've got to give her the option of being able to leave. No one was forcing her or pressurizing her. And actually, she also mentioned to me how much she didn't like pop music. She was much more into, I don't know, a different kind of music, I think. I don't think she really loved pop music. So I think she probably struggled a bit with the whole mentoring the artists. I mean, if I saw her, yeah, I would talk to her about that whole time because it was her choice.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (25:33)

Genuinely, your other huge success happens around this period. Let's talk about One Direction, because you put the band together from a group of kids who auditioned for the X Factor. And I just watched Liam Payne's audition when he was 16, and you give him the standing ovation. And he's got this beautiful smile and he's so excited about everything. What do you remember about them at the very beginning?

Simon Cowell (26:06)

Well, Lieber had auditioned for me when he was about 14, 15. He was very young the first time, and he got quite, you know, close to making the finals. And I remember having to say to him, it's just not your time. However, there's something about you I really like. Will you come back again? And he came back two years later. So that second time he came back and he nailed it on his audition.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (26:33)

Sang Cry me a River.

Simon Cowell (26:34)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was just that, you know, we were talking about the audience. You could feel it everywhere. And this look on his face, he was like, this is brilliant. And then with the show. Cause there's so many people. You take through to the next round and for whatever reason, he and a bunch of others just didn't do so well in the second part of the competition. And I remember having to say no to a bunch of them, including Liam. And I thought, Christ, having to say no to him for the second time. And then we went, actually, what if we put him with him, with him, with him, with him. It took about 20 minutes, honestly, to make the decision. I actually remember seeing them walk towards me and I thought, God, they look really good together. Something's gelled here. And I remember thinking I had my poker face. I'm like, please, God, please, God, sing. Please, God, sing. And they were great.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (27:31)

So in your new show, you're looking for a new boy band to launch, and in the midst of filming, you receive the news of Liam's death in Argentina in 2024. Can you tell me how you heard and then what you did to sort of process the loss?

Simon Cowell (27:50)

I. One of my.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (27:53)

And I know this is painful, so thank you.

Simon Cowell (27:54)

I mean, but of course we're going to talk about it. Somebody who works with me very close came into my room. I was up in the north of England, and I could tell on the look of her face that she was upset. And, you know, she said that, you know, sit down. And she told me. And it was like, whoa. It's a bit like I felt when I heard the news about when my dad passed away, you know, that you can't really. It's very difficult to put into words how you feel other than it's just a shock, total shock and a surprise. Even though my dad was in his 80s, I was still really surprised. And obviously with Liam, even more surprised. Cause he was so young. And at that point, you kind of. You're not really thinking clearly other than I just remember saying, I really need to speak to his mum and dad. Can you get them on the phone as soon as possible, please? Because I know. Oh, God. I mean, you know, as a parent, you know, what that must have been a felt like. And I was. I knew his mum and dad, and I wanted to reach out in that moment, you know, just to say, you know, how I felt. It was just awful. Awful. And, you know, I'd seen him like a year before in this room, you know, and I remember seeing him walk into this room and I looked at him and, God, you look amazing, Liam. You know, you look great. Well, so what have you done? Well, I'm going to the gym and blah, blah, blah. We talked about his son and you know how much it means to be a dad. And I was talking to him about, you know, there's more to life than just music. You know, you've got to a point in your life where you've got choice now, you know, etc. And I think we were just hung out as friends. That's why I was so shocked and surprised when I heard the news, you know.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (29:48)

You know, since that happened, there's been a lot of reporting on One Direction, what happened while they were a band, the sort of drugs, the alcohol. Liam said on diary of a CEO in 2021 that, and I'm quoting here, when we were in the band, the best way to secure us, because of how big I got, was just to lock us in our rooms. And of course, what was in the room, the minibar. And so he, you know, talked about sort of struggling. Did you know about that at the time?

Simon Cowell (30:22)

A little bit. And we, you know, there was stuff I never would have spoken about, you know, then, you know, which was private conversations I had and advice I tried to give him, which is what comes with fame, you know, et cetera, et cetera. When you're signing a lot of artists, and when you sign an artist, you know, my role is essentially get them with the right production team, get the managers and try and make them successful. But at the same time, I probably had about 20 artists on my books at the time. And it is a little bit like they lead the nest. You know, you always say you're available as and when you need to be, but you can't follow them everywhere. And if I could go back in time to that one day when he was in my house here, then obviously, you know, you always think about things like that. What if I'd said this? What if I'd said that? But, you know, there's only so much you can do with any artist. If you just have one artist in your life, maybe you can. But I'm not a manager, which means my job is to run the label. And you just hope that they are, first of all successful and happy.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (31:45)

But when you signed them, they were kids, and so it must be that there is a different type of relationship that they have with someone like you, who was also a judge and, you know, kind of brought them together. Is it a complicated role, that kind of relationship that you have with someone who is so young?

Simon Cowell (32:11)

It's always complicated, to be honest with you. I don't know whether it's more complicated when they're young or someone who's had success then, hasn't had success, and comes back and Wants a second chance. I mean, every time it's different. Lulu, you know, every artist is different. There's not a pattern. You can say, you know, you have to work differently with each artist. Everybody has the same ambition, which is they come on our shows or they want to work with me because their dream is to be successful. We made these shows because I understood and still do that there's always someone out there waiting to be discovered. If you actually look, the chances of getting well known are just minute. And then, like, I'm doing now, same thing, young kids, and you ask yourself, is it a good thing or not? Without this show, what I'm doing, would they be discovered? I don't think so. Is it something they want to do? Yes. So at the end of the day, you want people to be successful and happy. That's kind of what I've. You set out to do.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (33:28)

What happened to Liam? You know, for many people, it was a sign of how toxic fame can be and how hard it is to know at the beginning of your career how it's going to affect you.

Simon Cowell (33:45)

Yeah, yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (33:48)

What is the lesson you take from it?

Simon Cowell (33:50)

It's very difficult because I don't honestly know what is harder, which is trying to be famous or managing your fame. Both are equally difficult. But there's obviously something, you know, myself, I can say this about myself. I made my own choices. Not every day has been amazing, but I would, I still would. I'm glad I did what I did. You know, I just made a decision to do something different in my life. And it was, you know, it comes obviously with pressure. Lot of pressure, a lot of stress. But I signed up for it because obviously there was something inside of me saying, I want to be well known, I guess, and I would do it all over again.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (34:36)

So your new show, as we mentioned, the premise is that you're creating a new boy band. I've seen you talk about how few new worldwide bands have been launched lately in the uk, in the United States. And once I saw that, I was like, it is actually true. What do you think is going on?

Simon Cowell (34:57)

I don't know. I genuinely don't know. I knew that K Pop was gonna be big. I could sort of feel it. And I mean, credit to them. I mean, they've done an amazing job. I mean, they're like part of South Korea's, like, economy. They're so huge. So someone has gone, there's a market for bands and they have absolutely nailed it. However, from the UK and America, there hasn't been whether male or female. A breakout band. And in fact, one of my. Obviously One Direction or Fifth Harmony, you know, Boys and Girls were probably the last two that really had a big impact worldwide.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (35:42)

Something that also occurred to me is that we're now seeing the sort of emergence of AI generated music and even AI musicians.

Simon Cowell (35:51)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (35:51)

What do you think about that? I mean, would you ever sign an AI artist?

Simon Cowell (35:56)

Well, I mean, I guess so. I mean. I mean, if I thought it would be success. They Him. Her. I don't know what you mean. It. Yes, it would be successful. Yeah. I'm not thrilled at the prospect, if I'm being honest with you. It's not really my thing. I mean, that's why I said to the people we were making the documentary with, I said, I can't explain to you how exciting it is when you've got a band. It's so compelling and so exciting when you think it's starting to work and importantly, when they start to believe it's gonna work.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (36:29)

You know, we all know that it is harder to have your finger on the pulse as you get older.

Simon Cowell (36:35)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (36:35)

I say this myself. Are you worried about that? Because, you know, you do note in the show that you're in your 60s, trying to figure out what teenagers today want. And I have a teenager, as do you, a little younger than a teenager. And it seems like a different generation completely in the way that they consume things and discover things.

Simon Cowell (36:54)

Well, yes, I guess. Let me work this out. I was in my 50s when, you know, I had One Direction, Fifth Harmony, whatever little mix. I had a lot of bands who were selling. I don't know whether age was a factor or not. I think the biggest thing really was the amount of time since my last band to this time. And in between that time, K Pop's arrived. Social media, like you said, TikTok is everywhere. And that wasn't really a huge factor then. So the change in 10 years is ginormous. And you just have to. There's just no guarantee other than I think who we've selected are really good. But I never know until you put the group out there whether they're going to be successful or not. You just don't know. And that's part of the buzz, I suppose, not knowing, because I don't.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (37:55)

All right, this is perhaps a strange place to end, but you recently had a very big pop culture moment when you were on the Jennifer Hudson show.

Simon Cowell (38:05)

I heard about this.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (38:06)

You did the Spirit Tunnel where you walk down the hall while her staff does a little song and dance and and it was everywhere, Simon. And the comments seemed, one, they were confused about the way you were clapping.

Simon Cowell (38:19)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (38:19)

And two, surprised that you actually have legs, because a lot of people have only seen you behind a judge's podium on television.

Simon Cowell (38:26)

You're so right. But that is so funny you should ask that question, because it did occur to me. Let's say I had got hit by a bus six months ago. What would people know me for? Well, my job was sitting behind a desk with three or four other people pressing buttons. That's it. And I thought, it's gotta be more than that. I mean, at least I can show that I still have that kind of work ethic. And I really do love what I do, and I'm not afraid to show it. And I walk.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (38:59)

Okay, but what were you doing with your hands?

Simon Cowell (39:01)

I don't know. I hadn't seen it back. Oh, tell me.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (39:05)

There was some weird.

Simon Cowell (39:07)

It was quite embarrassing. I didn't know it was gonna happen, Lulu.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (39:10)

I mean, I'm married to an Englishman, so I understand. Sometimes dancing is a challenge.

Simon Cowell (39:17)

I could never watch it. I'd be mortified. But it made me laugh.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (39:23)

All right, we're gonna end here for now. We're gonna talk again, and we're gonna talk a little bit about your personal life and your family. We do get a glimpse into this new documentary about, you know, your home life and how much it's changed. And so we're going to talk a little bit about that.

Simon Cowell (39:39)

Thank you, Lulu.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (39:40)

Thank you, Simon.

Simon Cowell (39:41)

That brought back a lot of memories.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (39:47)

After the break, I talked to Simon again and he tells me how having a son brought him out of depression.

Simon Cowell (39:52)

He came in one day and it was about 2:30 in the afternoon, and he went, dad, what are you doing? What are you doing asleep? And I went, God, he's right. I've got to readjust.

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Simon Cowell (41:11)

Learn more@veeam.com this podcast is supported by AT&T. America's First Network is also its fastest and most reliable based on RootMetrics. United States Root Score Report 1H2025 tested with best commercially available smartphones on three national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. RootMetrics rankings are not an endorsement of ATT. When you compare, there's no comparison. AT&T. Okay, lovely. Can you hear me?

Lulu Garcia Navarro (41:52)

I can hear you. Can you hear me?

Simon Cowell (41:54)

Yeah. Where are you, Lulu?

Lulu Garcia Navarro (41:56)

I'm in London. And you are in the Cotswolds at your house.

Simon Cowell (42:00)

Yes. Yeah, I'm very happy here at Lulu. Even though it's pissing with rain.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (42:05)

It's English weather, so. You know, there's been a lot of discussion in the music industry about artists owning their work. You know, the big one being, of course, Taylor Swift. They say, you know, we're the ones singing, we're the ones in front of the microphone, and shouldn't it be ours? And in other conversations, I've heard you say that you regret not owning the One Direction name. I'm wondering how you just sort of square that.

Simon Cowell (42:35)

I think it depends on the circumstances, if I'm being honest with you. I think if a band had formed themselves and they come to me, say, and just say, look, we want funding and, you know, you to be the label like I used to do, I get it. They did it. If I was part of putting everything together, it's almost like you're part of the band.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (42:56)

You know, over the years, there have been complaints about contracts with artists and yours, especially as pertains to X Factor, where some artists said they actually didn't make any money when they signed with your company because of low royalty rates. And I'm just wondering if you think the contracts were all fair. Is there a way that you look at it in terms of being a business person and in terms of being someone who is creating and supporting artists?

Simon Cowell (43:25)

Well, I didn't really get involved in those negotiations. If you asked me what. What anyone's royalty was, I actually couldn't tell you, Lulu. Genuinely. I mean, look, I think I would have to. Look, I guess you'd have to talk to both sides, I suppose. The people who are happy and unhappy. I mean, some people were happy, I guess some people were unhappy. I mean, that's life, I guess. But I think. I don't think it was. I don't think it was unfair, Lulu. No.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (44:13)

Okay. I Want to talk about your personal life?

Simon Cowell (44:16)

Sure.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (44:17)

I was, was reading your authorized biography which came out in 2012 and it made it pretty clear that you used to party pretty hard when you were younger. You were famously adverse to commitment. You know, you were a man about town. There were a lot of different partnerships. Do you think that that was a fair characterization of who you were back then?

Simon Cowell (44:40)

Well, yeah, I mean, I had quite a lot of long term, you know, relationships. You know, most of my relationships have been pretty long. I'm still friends with a lot of my, my ex girlfriends. I mean, genuinely, the book, the book.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (44:55)

Makes the point that surprisingly. Yeah. That you don't really.

Simon Cowell (44:59)

Can I be honest with you, Lulu? I haven't read it.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (45:01)

Oh, wow.

Simon Cowell (45:02)

Well, so you know more than I do.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (45:04)

Yeah. But it does make the point that your exes are friends of yours. But it does also make the point that back then you. You know a man about town.

Simon Cowell (45:13)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, probably.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (45:16)

So you're now part of this family unit. You have a long term partner, Lauren, and your son now Eric. How has that changed you?

Simon Cowell (45:24)

Well, it saved me, if I'm being honest with you, Lulu. When my mum passed away in 2015 after losing my dad and then losing my mom, it was like feeling like an orphan, genuinely. And thank God she, my mom, you know, even though she had dementia and it was getting pretty bad, she, you know, she met Eric and you know what is amazing. And he, he, he remembers her vaguely because he was really young and my mom gave him this brown blanket, you know, just probably about three or four feet long. And to this day he will not go anywhere without that brown blanket.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (46:12)

Your son Eric was a major turning point, as you mentioned, and you've described it as sort of pulling you out of this very dark downward spiral that you were on after your mother died.

Simon Cowell (46:24)

Yeah, I just, I don't know. I always had suffered from depression and I got to a point where, you know, life, my career was going great, but for whatever reason I was just unhappy, just really unhappy. And you know that expression, is this as good as it gets? I was kind of feeling a bit like that actually. It was kind of like everything just felt monotonous and that was sort of it. And then, you know, he kind of like. It was like my life changed when he was born. Everything started again, if that kind of makes sense.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (47:09)

Yeah, I mean, what does it look like exactly to sort of pull yourself out of that? I mean, what did you do, practically speaking, to get yourself into a different place?

Simon Cowell (47:21)

Well, I used to work genuinely up until sometimes seven in the morning, there was always stuff to do. And I found it that time from like 1 to 7 in the morning, weirdly peaceful. I could really focus on the shows, you know, whatever we were doing, if we were, you know, listening to songs, what, there was always something, right? And then when eric was about 2, he must have been about that age because I didn't get up until the afternoon, so I never saw the morning. I hadn't seen the morning for years. I actually used to think, God, how could people work in the morning? It just felt weird to me. And he came in one day and it was about 2:30 in the afternoon and he went, dad, what are you doing asleep? And I went, God, he's right. What am I doing asleep? Have got to readjust, you know, Simon.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (48:20)

It does appear that you've sort of softened. Would you say that that's an accurate reflection of how you see yourself at the moment?

Simon Cowell (48:28)

Yeah, I would say that, yeah, for sure. I'm, I'm, I'm more, I think, more confident in myself now. You know, like we spoke about yesterday, I'm not afraid to take on new things. I like trying new things. Still, I'm very curious. You know, when you mentioned the AI, I was thinking about this overnight, the AI thing. I was kind of thinking, is this smart or is it exploiting people, what they've done? I actually don't know the answer to that question. I really, really don't. And the fact that it's happened is a little bit scary. At the same time, I'm sort of intrigued by it. I don't know how you feel about it.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (49:10)

Well, I don't know either. I find AI scary mostly and exploitative mostly.

Simon Cowell (49:17)

But can I ask you a question? If you could have a button, Green or red? Green mean yes, red being no. And you were able to stop the Internet, what would you have done?

Lulu Garcia Navarro (49:30)

Oh, God. Oh, that's a good question. What? Stop the Internet? I guess knowing now what we know, you know, the Internet has become an extraordinary tool for advancement, but it. We're sort of petri dishes in a way. We're being experimented on in ways that are changing us fundamentally. And I don't know the end of that story yet.

Simon Cowell (49:57)

Yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (49:57)

So I don't know.

Simon Cowell (49:58)

What about you it would be stop. I press the red button because I was thinking about this the other night weirdly. It was kind of like I liked the time when we didn't have so much choice. So when something came out like, I don't know, Jaws or Star wars or whatever, it was such a big deal. And the fact that we knew it was coming and we had to go somewhere to watch it, it was such a thing, fun, amazing time. And I personally think that people were happier then than now. I mean, a lot of people will disagree with that, but that's how I feel. I don't know. It's just a personal thing. I was just curious what you. What you would say.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (50:44)

Your answer is more interesting, for sure. Just in our. In our last few minutes, as I was sort of mentioning, you've softened, and I wonder what you make of the fact that the rest of the world has gotten sort of more vicious. Because we see it in our culture, we see it in our politics, as someone who understood the power of the bully, that it can rally people, that you were the most popular member of the panel in all these shows because you told it like it was. Does any of your experience with that give you insight on this moment?

Simon Cowell (51:26)

Well, I think if we're talking about what I wish, then I wish, you know, when we make Got Talent, we all say the same thing to each other, which is, this is just how everything should be. We all get on well with each other. You know, genuinely, everyone's welcome. Everyone has a great time, a great experience. I mean, you sat there and you experienced it. You know, I was thinking about that, the fact that you saw it and then you kind of go, that's a great bubble to live in. So I sort of live in a slight bubble, if I'm being honest with you. In so much as. Because I don't have a phone and I don't read anything online or I don't read newspapers.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (52:10)

You don't watch TikTok, Instagram? Nothing.

Simon Cowell (52:13)

No, I don't. Nothing. I have no idea even what social media things I have. I. I'm really genuinely oblivious. And I do it for a reason, because I'm happier that way. You know, it's my choice. And it's just. I decided that's how I wanted to live. And when you asked me about, you know, being softer now, I think part. Maybe that's part of the reason is that I just don't get caught up in anything, you know? So I. I don't want to change that.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (52:44)

All right, before we go, I want to get your take on a few things. Who is your favorite current artist who has nothing to do with you?

Simon Cowell (52:54)

Chapel?

Lulu Garcia Navarro (52:55)

Rhone.

Simon Cowell (52:55)

Rhone, yeah.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (52:57)

She's great.

Simon Cowell (52:57)

Yeah. I heard her first song. Eric played it to me, and I went, that is one of the best, best Songs I've heard in years.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (53:06)

Do you watch reality tv?

Simon Cowell (53:08)

No.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (53:08)

Are you a Housewives guy?

Simon Cowell (53:10)

No.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (53:11)

Would you go on Traders? Celebrity Traders?

Simon Cowell (53:13)

Never. Never? No.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (53:19)

All right, you've said before that you wanted to be cryogenically frozen. Is that still true? Because the technology has gotten a lot better.

Simon Cowell (53:28)

Okay, I'll tell you a funny story. So, yes, I did think for a while, okay, well, we're all gonna eventually, unfortunately, die. That's. That's life. What if. Then I'll just freeze myself. That was before, by the way. I was, you know, a dad. Then someone told me they chop your head off, and then basically, I think your brain's frozen. So then the idea of coming back some kind of robot in 3000 years time, it's like, forget it. No, I'm not interested.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (54:02)

Even if it's your full body now, not just the head? No.

Simon Cowell (54:05)

No, I don't want to. No. Maybe I actually do believe. I think now I do believe in God. And I do believe there's something. I really do hope and believe that there's something good that happens afterwards. I don't know what it is. I always think about the power of the universe and how little we know about that. And it's kind of that. That unknown. And my mom had a lot of faith, which, you know, was really, genuinely made her happy. And I started to think a lot about that. Not because I'm getting older or I'm going to die tomorrow. It's just. Does it make me happy? Actually, yes, it does.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (54:47)

Simon Cowell, this has been delightful. Thank you so very, very much.

Simon Cowell (54:52)

Oh, thank you for saying that. I have really, really enjoyed this. Lulu, you've been a really real pleasure to talk to, and thank you.

Lulu Garcia Navarro (55:03)

That's Simon Cowell. His Netflix series, Simon Cowell, the next act drops December 10th. To watch this interview and many others, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel@YouTube.com betheinterview podcast. This conversation was produced by Seth Kelly. It was edited by Annabelle Bacon. Mixing by Afim Shapiro and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell and Marian Lozano. Photography by David Vintner. The rest of the team is Priya Matthew Wyatt, Orme Paola Neudorf, Mark Zemmel, Amy Marino and Brooke Minters. Our executive producer is Alison Benedict. Next week, David talks with Kristen Stewart about directing her first movie and living with abandon. I really think, like, you know, shooting from the hip is, like, the only way to enjoy your life. I'm Lulu Garcia Navarro, and this is the interview from the New York Times.

Podcast Sponsor/Announcer (56:12)

This podcast is supported by the International Rescue Committee. Co founded with help from Albert Einstein, the IRC has been providing humanitarian aid for more than 90 years. The IRC helps refugees whose lives are disrupted by conflict and disaster, supporting recovery efforts in places like Gaza and Ukraine, and responding within 72 hours of crisis. Donate today by visiting rescue.org rebuild.