Simon Cowell | |
|---|---|
 Cowell in December 2011 | |
| Born | Simon Phillip Cowell (1959-10-07)7 October 1959 (age 66) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Organisation | Syco Entertainment |
| Label | Syco Music |
| Television | |
| Partner(s) | Lauren Silverman (2013–present; engaged) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Nicholas Cowell (brother) Tony Cowell (half-brother) |
Simon Phillip Cowell (/ˈkaʊəl/; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, record executive, and entrepreneur. He has judged on the British television talent competition showsPop Idol (2001–2003),The X Factor UK (2004–2010; 2014–2018), andBritain's Got Talent (2007–present), as well as the American television talent competition showsAmerican Idol (2002–2010),The X Factor US (2011–2013), andAmerica's Got Talent (2016–present). Cowell founded the British entertainment companySyco Entertainment in 2005, as well as its defunct predecessor,Syco Music (also known as S Records) in 2002.
After some success in the 1980s and 1990s as a record producer, talent agent and consultant in the British music industry, Cowell came to public prominence in 2001 as a judge onPop Idol, a television show which he and its creatorSimon Fuller successfully pitched toITV Controller of EntertainmentClaudia Rosencrantz. He subsequently createdThe X Factor in 2004 andGot Talent in 2006, which have gone on to become successful television franchises sold around the world.
Cowell often makes blunt and controversial comments as a television music and talent show judge, including insults and wisecracks about contestants and their singing abilities. He combines activities in both the television and music industries. Cowell has produced and promoted successful singles and albums for various recording acts whom he has signed to his record label Syco Music, includingLittle Mix,James Arthur,Labrinth,Leona Lewis,Fifth Harmony,Olly Murs,Noah Cyrus,Fleur East,Ella Henderson, andSusan Boyle. He has also signed successfulboy bands such asWestlife,One Direction,PrettyMuch, andCNCO.
In 2004 and 2010,Time named Cowell one of the100 most influential people in the world.[1][2] In 2006, the British public ranked him number 28 in ITV's poll ofTV's 50 Greatest Stars,[3] and in 2008,The Daily Telegraph ranked him sixth in their list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture".[4] In 2008, he received theSpecial Recognition Award at theNational Television Awards in London.[5] At the2010 British Academy Television Awards, Cowell received theBAFTA Special Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry and for his development of new talent".[6] In 2018, he received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in the television category.[7]
Simon Phillip Cowell was born on 7 October 1959[8][9] inLambeth, London, and raised inElstree, Hertfordshire. His mother, Julie Brett (née Josie Dalglish, 1925–2015),[10] was a ballet dancer andsocialite, and his father, Eric Selig Phillip Cowell (1918–1999), was an estate agent, property developer, andmusic industry executive.[11] Cowell's father was from a mostlyJewish family (his own mother was born in Poland),[12] though he did not discuss his ancestry with his children. Cowell's mother was from a Christian background.[12][13] He has a younger brother,Nicholas Cowell; three half brothers, John,Tony, and Michael Cowell; and a half sister, June Cowell.[14]
Cowell attendedRadlett Preparatory School,Licensed Victuallers' School inAscot for one year,[15] and theprivateDover College, as did his brother, but left after takingGCE O levels. He passed English Language and Literature and then attended Windsor Technical College, where he gained another GCE in Sociology.[16] Cowell took a few menial jobs—including, according to his brother Tony,[17] working as a runner onStanley Kubrick's 1980 horror filmThe Shining—but did not get along well with colleagues and bosses, until his father, who was an executive atEMI Music Publishing, managed to get him a job in the mail room. However, after failing to get a promotion, he left to try out other jobs before returning to EMI.[18]
In the early 1980s, Cowell left EMI to form E&S Music with his former boss at EMI but quit in 1983.[19] He then formedFanfare Records with Iain Burton, initially selling exercise videos, and music from acts such as the Italian orchestraRondò Veneziano.[20][21] He had his first hit song in 1986 with "So Macho" bySinitta. Some of Cowell's early success came throughStock Aitken Waterman, who produced a number of hits in the 1980s.[22][23] However, in 1989 the company went under, withPete Waterman forced to put a freeze on Fanfare's assets, and taking Cowell'sPorsche as compensation for outstanding production and royalties payments.[24][25] Amid the company's implosion Cowell nearly became bankrupt.[26]
He then worked withBMG as anA&R consultant and set up S Records under BMG.[27][28] He restarted his career in the music business by creating novelty records with acts such as the puppetsZig and Zag,Power Rangers andWorld Wrestling Federation.[29] In 1995, through his persistence, he persuaded two actors,Robson Green andJerome Flynn from the UK television drama seriesSoldier Soldier, to sign with him and record the song "Unchained Melody", which they had performed on the show.[30] The recording by the duo, now namedRobson & Jerome, quickly reached number 1 in the UK, staying at the top of the chart for seven weeks.[31] It became thebest-selling single of 1995 (their next release, "I Believe"/"Up on the Roof", was the third-best selling single), and theirself-titled album released later in the year also became thebest-selling album of 1995.[32] They released another album and two more singles before disbanding, and sold 7 million albums and 5 million singles in total.[33] According to Cowell, they made him his first million.[34] Later acts he signed includedFive,Westlife andTeletubbies.[35]
"On Tuesday 13 February 2001 TV veteran Alan Boyd saw two men he had never met before in his London office and the meeting changed the face of Saturday night entertainment. As Mr Cowell andMr Fuller rattled through their idea for an ambitious new show to identify an unknown British singing star, Boyd scribbled notes during the hour-long meeting.Pop Idol, as it became, attracted mass family audiences, sold around the world, and it would also act as a template for a host of new shows set to transform Saturday night entertainment, with a mixture of live judging and public voting all in the initial pitch".
In 2001, Cowell was given the role of judge on thefirst series ofPop Idol, a show that he and the show creatorSimon Fuller successfully pitched toITV Controller of EntertainmentClaudia Rosencrantz.[37] Maggie Brown inThe Guardian states, "the show became a seminal reality/entertainment format once on air that autumn".[36] Cowell's S Records signed the top two finishers of the first season ofPop Idol,Will Young andGareth Gates, both of whom went on to have No 1 UK hits, and they were the top 2 best-selling singles of 2002 and the decade of 2000s.[38] He also became a judge on the first season ofAmerican Idol in 2002. With his notoriously critical reputation, Cowell has been likened to TV personalities such asJudge Judy andThe Weakest Link hostAnne Robinson.[39] His closest predecessor was British TV criticNina Myskow who, in the 1980s, became known for her harsh put-downs inNew Faces, a talent show that Cowell cited as an influence.[40][41] Cowell's prominence grew, fed by hissignature phrase, "I don't mean to be rude, but ...", inevitably followed by an unsparingly blunt appraisal of the contestant's talents, personality, or even physical appearance.[42] A lot of these one-liners were the product of coaching that Cowell received from publicistMax Clifford.[43] Cowell also appeared on the one-offWorld Idol programme in 2003, in which it became clear that each country's version of theIdol had attempted to come up with its own "Simon Cowell" type personality.[44][45]
Cowell formed a new company,Syco, in 2005.[46] The company is divided into three units:Syco Music,Syco TV and Syco Film.[47] Cowell returned to music with his latest brainchild signed to Syco, the internationally successfuloperatic pop groupIl Divo,[48][49] consisting of three opera singers and one pop singer of four different nationalities. Inspired by the success of Il Divo, Cowell created a child version,Angelis, made up of six 11 to 14 year-olds from choirs across the UK, with their debut album released in November 2006.[50]
On 11 January 2010, Cowell's exit fromAmerican Idol was made official. One year after Cowell leftAmerican Idol, the show eventually completed eight consecutive seasons of leadership amongst all primetime programmes in the United States, marking thelongest annual winning streak in the ratings inU.S. television history. The 2010 season was Cowell's last on the show, and he was replaced bySteven Tyler. It was also announced that FOX had acquired the rights toThe X Factor USA, an American version of British showThe X Factor that launched in 2011.[51][52]
In 2004, withSharon Osbourne andLouis Walsh, Cowell was a judge onthe first series of the British television music competitionThe X Factor, which he created using his production company,Syco TV.The X Factor was an instant success with the viewers and enjoyedits tenth series in 2013.
Leona Lewis, the winner of thethird series ofThe X Factor, was signed to Cowell's label Syco and has had number one singles and album sales around the world.[57][58] Cowell returned for a fourth series on 18 August 2007 alongside Osbourne, Walsh and new judge,Dannii Minogue. Walsh had previously been sacked from the judging panel by Cowell for the fourth series, and he was subsequently replaced byBrian Friedman, who was a judge onGrease Is the Word. Walsh was later brought back by Cowell a week into the auditions when he and Osbourne realised that they missed Walsh and that without him, there was no chemistry between the judges. Cowell returned for the fifth series in 2008, with Walsh, Minogue, and new judgeCheryl Cole, as Osbourne had decided to quit before the show began.[59][60] Cowell returned for series 6 and 7 as well, although series 7 was to be his last, as he left in 2011 in order to launchThe X Factor in America. After being the last contestant eliminated in theseventh series ofThe X Factor in the UK, the boybandOne Direction signed with Cowell's label in 2011 and has gone on to top singles and album charts worldwide.[61][62] Cowell was replaced byGary Barlow. In 2011, UKseries eight winnersLittle Mix signed to Cowell's label. The girl group has sold 50 million records worldwide.[63]
AustralianThe X Factor launched in 2005 onNetwork Ten, and it featuredMark Holden,Kate Ceberano andJohn Reid as the show's judges, but it was cancelled after just one season due to poor ratings. However, the show returned in 2010 and performed strongly on theSeven Network until its eighth season in 2016, when its ratings declined. Subsequently, the show was axed for a second time in January 2017.[67]
Cowell also launchedAmericanThe X Factor in September 2011 on American broadcasterFox. It was originally announced that he would be a judge both on the UK and US editions of the show, which aired at similar times of the year,[68][69] but MTV officially reported on 17 April 2011 that this was not true. Cowell was no longer to be a judge on the UK version,[70] but he would remain a major presence backstage.[71] He was joined byPaula Abdul,L.A. Reid,Nicole Scherzinger and formerlyCheryl Cole. Cowell's contestantMelanie Amaro came first during season 1, making Cowell the winning judge. Cowell and Reid returned for season 2, whileDemi Lovato andBritney Spears joined the judging panel as replacements for Abdul and Scherzinger. This season launched another of Cowell's contestant into worldwide fame, the groupFifth Harmony.[64]
Cowell returned for a third season ofThe X Factor in September 2013 alongsideDemi Lovato, while Spears and L.A. Reid announced they would not be returning and were replaced byPaulina Rubio andKelly Rowland. Cowell's last contestantAlex & Sierra won the season, marking Cowell's second season as the winning mentor after he came first withMelanie Amaro in 2011.[72]
In October 2010, Cowell signed new three-year deals with ITV for bothBritain's Got Talent andThe X Factor, retaining them until 2013.[73] On 15 November 2013, the three-year deal was extended by another three years, keeping it on air until 2016.[74]
In October 2013, it was reported that Cowell might return to the UK version ofThe X Factor forseries 11 in place ofGary Barlow, and on 7 February 2014, his return was officially confirmed.[75][76] This resulted in the cancellation of the US version after three seasons by Fox. He joined judgesLouis Walsh,Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who replacedSharon Osbourne, and new judge, formerSpice Girls memberMel B, who replacedNicole Scherzinger. For his eighth series, he was given the Over 26s category. On 13 December,Ben Haenow andFleur East reached the final two, which meant that Cowell was the winning mentor for the first time sinceseries 3 2006, when he had bothLeona Lewis andRay Quinn in the final.Ben Haenow became the eleventh winner on 14 December.[77] In 2015, Cowell returned to theX Factor for itstwelfth series, along with veteran judgeCheryl Fernandez-Versini and newcomersRita Ora and BBC Radio 1 DJNick Grimshaw.[78]
In December 2020 it was announced that Cowell will be a judge onThe X Factor Israel in 2021.[79] In late May 2021, Cowell cancelled his appearance on the show following the conflict between Israel and Hamas, though he maintained that he was cancelling “for his own reasons.[80][81]
In July 2024, he offered a public comment supporting theJerusalem Youth Chorus onAmerica’s Got Talent, anIsraeli-Palestinian music group that promotes dialogue, saying, “You made something very complicated beautiful through friendship.”[82][83]
Following the success of theIdol andX Factor franchises, Cowell, his company Syco, and its business partners developed a talent show format open to performers of any kind, not only singers, but also dancers, instrumentalists, magicians, comedians, novelty acts, and so on. The origins of theGot Talent format can be traced to the British talent showsOpportunity Knocks (on screen from 1956, with the winner using the now-standard method of a telephone vote) andNew Faces.[84] Immensely popular with weekly audiences of 20 million,Opportunity Knocks showcased singers, dancers and comedians in addition to non standard performers such as acrobats, animal acts and novelty acts.[84] Cowell states, "I was a fan of variety showsOpportunity Knocks andNew Faces, and to be able to update that tradition, really was a buzz".[41]
Cowell is the executive producer ofAmerica's Got Talent,[85] which debuted in June 2006, along with Fremantle producers of theIdol series. The show was a huge success forNBC, drawing around 12 million viewers a week and beatingSo You Think You Can Dance on Fox (produced by rival andIdol creatorSimon Fuller).
Britain's Got Talent debuted on ITV in June 2007.[86] Cowell appeared as a judge alongsideAmanda Holden andPiers Morgan. The show was a ratings success, and second and third seasons followed in 2008 and 2009. The third series featured a publicity coup whenSusan Boyle made a global media impact comparable to that of any previous talent show series winner with her regional audition performance.[86][87] In December 2019, Cowell signed a five-year deal with ITV ensuringBritain's Got Talent will stay on the channel until 2024.[88]
In 2014,Got Talent was named the world's most successfulreality TV format byGuinness World Records, with spin-offs in over 68 countries. Cowell stated, "I am very proud thatGot Talent is a home grown British show. We owe its success to a group of very talented producers all over the world who have made this happen. And of course amazing talent."[89]
In 2015, Cowell launchedLa Banda, his first US show since his stint with AmericanThe X Factor. The show, designed to find male singers to form the "ultimate Latino Boy Band", launched on Univision in the US on 13 September 2015. The winner of the show, boy bandCNCO, signed to Cowell's record label Syco Music.[90]
Cowell was announced as the replacement forHoward Stern onAmerica's Got Talent on 22 October 2015.[91] On 15 July 2020, it was announced that Cowell had bought outSony Music from their joint venture,Syco Entertainment.[92]
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On 16 March 2006,American Inventor debuted onABC. Cowell co-produced the show with British entrepreneurPeter Jones, who had devised the concept.[93][94] Having a similar format to the BBC'sDragons' Den, a show on which Jones was one of the investors, fledgling entrepreneurs from across the United States competed to see who could come up with the best new product concept. The 2006 winner,Janusz Liberkowski,[95][96] received $1 million and the opportunity to develop his idea into a business. The show returned in 2007 for a second season.[97]
In 2006, Cowell executive-producedCelebrity Duets, which was described as "an Idol show for Hollywood superstars".[98] The show was hosted byWayne Brady, and its judges wereMarie Osmond,Little Richard, andDavid Foster.[99]
Cowell was also the executive producer ofGrease Is the Word forITV. This show set out to find performers to play Danny and Sandy in the 2007 West End revival ofGrease. It was hosted byZoë Ball and judged by BritonsDavid Ian andSinitta and AmericansDavid Gest andBrian Friedman. The musical theatre casting concept had already been introduced by the BBC with the ratings hitHow Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?, but Cowell's show was not the hoped-for success. He himself said, "It has been slaughtered by the critics – and rightly so. It is far too similar to our other formats."[100]
Cowell collaborated with UK production companyShed Media to produce 2008ITV drama seriesRock Rivals, which is based on anX Factor type show. In 2011, Cowell also created his first game show, titledRed or Black? and hosted byAnt & Dec, for ITV. Series 1 was broadcast from 3 to 10 September. The show was recommissioned by ITV for a second series in 2012, which aired weekly.[101]
In 2013, Cowell, in partnership withYouTube, launched a video-sharing competition calledThe You Generation. In 2013, he was executive producer for ITV cookery seriesFood Glorious Food, which was hosted byCarol Vorderman. He did the same for the ITV game showKeep it in the Family, presented byBradley Walsh in 2016.[102]
In 2018, it was announced that Cowell created his first show to air on theBBC, titledThe Greatest Dancer, which debuted on 5 January 2019.[103] In the show, dancers competed for a £50,000 and a performance on the BBC'sStrictly Come Dancing. A second series was aired in 2020.[104]
In April 2020, Cowell judged a spin-off version of the former showCanada's Got Talent calledCanadian Family's Got Talent, carried out virtually by Canadian broadcasterCitytv during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[105]
Cowell has been involved in charity work for many years.[106] He is a patron ofTogether for Short Lives, the leading UK charity for all children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. He was patron of Children's Hospices UK between 2009 and 2011 before it merged to become Together for Short Lives.[107] He donated money to Manchester Dogs' Home in England after it was hit by a large fire.[108] In view of his charitable works, particularly the production of the charity single "Everybody Hurts" in aid of victims of the2010 Haiti earthquake, as well as his services to the music industry, there was considerable media speculation as to whether Cowell would receive aknighthood in theQueen's 2010 Birthday Honours, a proposal allegedly put forward by then Prime MinisterGordon Brown.[109]
In November 2003, Cowell appeared on the BBC's charity telethonChildren in Need where viewers pledged thousands to see him get sawn in half.[110] In December 2003, he published his autobiography titledI Don't Mean to be Rude, but.... In it, he told of his childhood, his years working in music and experiences onPop Idol,Pop Stars Rivals, andAmerican Idol, and finally, his tips for being successful as a pop star. In 2010, he was added as a new entry to the latest edition of the UK'sWho's Who.[111]
Cowell has appeared as a guest voice in an episode ofThe Simpsons ("Smart & Smarter"), in which he gets beaten up byHomer Simpson (while criticising Homer's punches).[112][113] In May 2010, he portrayed himself again in an episode ofThe Simpsons, "Judge Me Tender".[114] His voice was heard on an episode ofFamily Guy ("Lois Kills Stewie"), in which he toldStewie that his singing was so awful that he should be dead.[115][116][117] He made anMTV Movie Award-winning cameo appearance as himself inScary Movie 3, where he sits in judgment during a battle rap (and is subsequently killed by gunfire for criticising the rappers). He appears in the DVD version ofShrek 2 as himself inFar Far Away Idol and also provided the voice.[118]
Cowell was once the fastest "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" onBBC's motoring showTop Gear, driving aSuzuki Liana around the show's test track in a time of 1:47.1. WhenTop Gear retired the Liana along with its rankings after the eighth series, Cowell was the eighth fastest overall and the third fastest non-professional driver. On 11 November 2007 Cowell yet again appeared onTop Gear, achieving a time of 1:45.9 thus putting him ahead of chefGordon Ramsay and back at the top of the table.[119] His time of 1:45.9 was then tied with English rock singerBrian Johnson ofAC/DC andGrand Designs hostKevin McCloud for the second fastest time, just 0.1 seconds behindJamiroquai singerJay Kay.[120] In March 2015, Cowell defendedTop Gear presenterJeremy Clarkson after he was suspended by the BBC for punching a colleague, with Cowell stating onGood Morning Britain: "He's apologised. But I think what is quite obvious is that the public are behind him, but you know, that's Jeremy."[121]
He appeared on an episode ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire? (the original British version) andSaturday Night Live in 2004. Cowell has also guest-starred (filling in forRegis Philbin) in the popular talk showLive with Regis and Kelly duringAmerican Idol's finalist week in early 2006. Cowell introduced entertainerDick Clark at the2006 Primetime Emmy Awards. He was seen on the British charity telethonComic Relief, appearing onComic Relief Does The Apprentice where he donated £25,000 for a fun fair ticket. Cowell has also appeared on the MTV showsCribs andPunk'd. OnPunk'd, Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson set him up to believe his $400,000Rolls-Royce was stolen and had caused an accident by using a nearly identical car.[122]
Cowell was a partner in theRoyal Ascot Racing Club, a thoroughbred horse racing syndicate which owned the2005 Epsom Derby winner,Motivator.[123] Cowell was chosen as the first subject of the re-launched British edition ofThis Is Your Life, in an episode broadcast on ITV on 2 June 2007. He was presented with the Red Book bySir Trevor McDonald while presentingAmerican Idol.[124]
On 1 July 2007, Cowell appeared as a speaker at theConcert for Diana (alongsideRandy Jackson andRyan Seacrest) held atWembley Stadium, London, to celebrate the life ofPrincess Diana almost 10 years after her death.[125] Proceeds from the concert went to Diana's charities as well as to charities of which her sons Princes William and Harry are patrons.[125][126]
At the 2012Pride of Britain Awards on 30 October, Cowell, along withMichael Caine,Elton John,Richard Branson andStephen Fry, recitedRudyard Kipling's poem "If—" in tribute to the 2012 BritishOlympic andParalympics athletes.[127] In October 2013 Cowell took part in a fundraising event in Los Angeles in support of theIsraeli Defense Forces. The event raised $20 million and Cowell made a personal donation of $150,000.[128]
To raise money for the families of the victims of theGrenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017 and forThe London Community Foundation, Cowell arranged the recording and release of a charity single, "Bridge over Troubled Water".[129] Cowell collaborated with a number of vocalists for the single, includingRobbie Williams,Dua Lipa,Roger Daltrey andRita Ora, and the song reached number one in theUK Singles Chart.[130]
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Cowell dated English presenterTerri Seymour from 2002 to 2008.[131] Cowell was engaged to make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy from 2010 to 2011.[132] In 2013, Cowell began dating Lauren Silverman. In July 2013, Silverman's husband and Cowell's friend, Andrew Silverman, filed for anat-fault divorce, citingadultery by his wife and naming Cowell as a co-respondent.[133] News of the divorce filing became public two weeks later, when it was widely reported that Silverman and Cowell were expecting a baby together.[134][135]
Cowell said, "There are a lot of things I will eventually clear up when the time is right, but I really have to be sensitive because there's a lot of people's feelings involved here." The Silvermans released separate statements expressing concern for the well-being of their son during the divorce process.[136] In August 2013, the Silvermans settled their divorce out of court, enabling Cowell to avoid being called as a witness in the divorce proceedings.[137] He subsequently confirmed that Silverman was pregnant with his child, and she gave birth to their son Eric on 14 February 2014.[138][139] The couple confirmed their engagement in January 2022.[140]
In 2010, Cowell came out in support for thenConservative Party leaderDavid Cameron forPrime Minister of the United Kingdom, writing inThe Sun: "I believe he is the Prime Minister Britain needs at this time. He has substance and the stomach to navigate us through difficult times."[141][142] In 2013, Cowell contravened his previous statement about David Cameron. According to the interview, while he has supported candidates, he has never voted in an election.[143] Cowell was in favour of the UK remaining in the EU in the2016 EU referendum.[144]
In 2019, Cowell became avegan after doctors advised him to change his diet for health reasons.[145] He was also named one of the wealthiest people in the UK by theSunday Times Rich List, Cowell was worth£385 million in 2019.[146]
In 2020, Cowell announced he would be writing a seven-book series titledWishfits with his son. The series was scheduled to launch in 2023.[147] On 8 August 2020, Cowell broke his back after he fell off his newelectric motorcycle,[148] which many press sources confused with anelectric bike. The incident occurred while he was testing it at his home inMalibu, California. Cowell was taken to the hospital, where he underwent back surgery overnight.[149] After the accident, he began eating animal-based food again in order to "rebuild his strength".[150]
Cowell suffers fromdepression. He has taken regular therapy sessions to combat the symptoms of the illness.[151][152]
In 2004 and 2010,Time magazine named Cowell one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[1][2] In 2006, the British public ranked him number 28 in ITV's poll ofTV's 50 Greatest Stars.[3] In 2008, he received theSpecial Recognition Award (presented to him byAndrew Lloyd Webber) at theNational Television Awards held at theRoyal Albert Hall.[5]New Statesman listed Cowell at number 41 in a list of "50 People who Matter [in] 2010".[153]TV Guide named him at number 10 in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.[154]
In 2012, Cowell was featured in theBBC Radio 4 seriesThe New Elizabethans to mark thediamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A panel of seven academics, journalists and historians named Cowell among the group of people in the UK "whose actions during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a significant impact on lives in these islands and given the age its character".[155] Cowell was announced to receive a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame on 22 August 2018, in the Television category.[156]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Right to Reply | Himself | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Sale of the Century | Contestant | |
| 1992 | That's Life! | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2001–2003 | Pop Idol | Judge | Also Producer |
| 2002–2010 | American Idol | ||
| 2003–2004 | World Idol | ||
| 2003 | American Juniors | Guest | 1 episode |
| Mad TV | Himself | Season 9 Episode 3 | |
| Hollywood Squares | Centre Square; 15 episodes | ||
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Celebrity Contestant | 1 episode | |
| This Is Your Life | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| The Luvvies | TV special | ||
| 2003, 2007 | Top Gear | Special guest; 3 episodes | |
| 2003–2011 | The Oprah Winfrey Show | Guest; 6 episodes | |
| 2003–2024 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | 17 episodes | |
| 2004 | Saturday Night Live | Guest; 1 episode | |
| The Sharon Osbourne Show | |||
| 2004, 2010 | The Simpsons | Himself / Henry (voice) | 2 episodes: "Smart & Smarter" and "Judge Me Tender" |
| 2004–2010, 2014–2018 | The X Factor UK | Creator/Judge | Executive Producer |
| 2006 | The X Factor: Battle of the Stars | Judge | |
| American Inventor | Himself | 1 episode; also producer | |
| The Fairly OddParents | Himself (voice) | 1 episode: "Fairy Idol" | |
| 2007 | Hey Paula | Himself | Guest; 1 episode |
| The Kylie Show | TV special | ||
| 2007, 2016 | Family Guy | Himself (voice) | 3 episodes: "Stewie Kills Lois", "Lois Kills Stewie", and "Run, Chris, Run" |
| 2007–present | Britain's Got Talent | Creator/Judge | Producer |
| 2008 | The Apprentice USA | Himself | Special guest; 1 episode |
| 2009 | Cheryl Cole's Night In | TV special | |
| 2010–2011 | Piers Morgan's Life Stories | 2 episodes | |
| 2011 | Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar | Documentary | |
| 2011–2013 | The X Factor USA | Creator/Judge | Executive Producer |
| 2012 | The Talent Show Story | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 2012–2013, 2015–2016 | The X Factor Australia | Creator, Guest | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | The Late Late Show | Hosting Hopeful | 1 episode |
| 2016 | American Idol | Himself | Guest on Season 15 Finale |
| 2016, 2019 | The One Show | Guest; 2 episodes | |
| 2016–present | America's Got Talent | Creator/Judge | Executive Producer |
| 2018 | Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas | Himself | TV movie |
| 2019–2022 | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Himself | Guest |
| 2019 | The X Factor: Celebrity | Creator/Judge | 1 series |
| Britain's Got Talent: The Champions | |||
| America's Got Talent: The Champions | 2 seasons | ||
| 2020 | The X Factor: The Band | 1 series | |
| Canadian Family's Got Talent | Creator/Judge | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | The Jennifer Hudson Show | Himself | Guest |
| Canada's Got Talent | Guest Judge | 1 episode | |
| America's Got Talent: Extreme | Creator/Judge | 1 season | |
| 2023 | America's Got Talent: All-Stars | ||
| 2024 | America's Got Talent: Fantasy League |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Scary Movie 3 | Himself | Cameo |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | Himself (voice) | "Far Far Away Idol" bonus segment |
| 2013 | One Direction: This Is Us | Himself | Uncredited, also producer |
| 2016 | Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping | Cameo | |
| 2017 | Little Mix: Glory Days – The Documentary | Documentary film | |
| 2020 | Scoob! | Himself (voice) |
