Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive.
82 Facts About Simon Cowell
2.
Simon Cowell is the creator of The X Factor and Got Talent franchises which have been sold around the world.
3.
Simon Cowell has judged on the British television talent competition series Pop Idol, The X Factor UK and Britain's Got Talent, and the American television talent competition series American Idol, The X Factor US, and America's Got Talent.
4.
At the 2010 British Academy Television Awards, Simon Cowell received the BAFTA Special Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry and for his development of new talent".
5.
Simon 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.
6.
Simon Cowell combines activities in both the television and music industries.
7.
Simon Cowell has produced and promoted successful singles and albums for various recording acts whom he has signed and taken under his wing, including Little Mix, James Arthur, Labrinth, Leona Lewis, Fifth Harmony, Il Divo, Olly Murs, Noah Cyrus, Cher Lloyd, Fleur East, and Susan Boyle.
8.
Simon Cowell has signed successful boy bands such as Westlife, One Direction, PrettyMuch, and CNCO.
9.
Simon Phillip Cowell was born on 7 October 1959 in Lambeth, London, and raised in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
10.
Simon Cowell's mother, Julie Brett, was a ballet dancer and socialite, and his father, Eric Selig Phillip Cowell, was an estate agent, property developer, and music industry executive.
11.
Simon Cowell's father was from a mostly Jewish family, though he did not discuss his ancestry with his children.
12.
Simon Cowell attended Radlett Preparatory School and the private Dover College, as did his brother, but left after taking GCE O levels.
13.
Simon Cowell passed English Language and Literature and then attended Windsor Technical College, where he gained another GCE in Sociology.
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Simon Cowell then formed Fanfare Records with Iain Burton, initially selling exercise videos, and music from acts such as the Italian orchestra Rondo Veneziano.
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Simon Cowell had his first hit song in 1986 with "So Macho" by Sinitta.
16.
Simon Cowell restarted his career in the music business by creating novelty records with acts such as the puppets Zig and Zag, Power Rangers and World Wrestling Federation.
17.
Simon Cowell became a judge on the first season of American Idol in 2002.
18.
Simon Cowell is divided into three units: Syco Music, Syco TV and Syco Film.
19.
Simon Cowell returned to music with his latest brainchild signed to Syco, the internationally successful operatic pop group Il Divo, consisting of three opera singers and one pop singer of four different nationalities.
20.
In 2004, with Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, Simon Cowell was a judge on the first series of the British television music competition The X Factor, which he created using his production company, Syco TV.
21.
Simon Cowell returned for a fourth series on 18 August 2007 alongside Osbourne, Walsh and new judge, Dannii Minogue.
22.
Walsh had previously been sacked from the judging panel by Simon Cowell for the fourth series, and he was replaced by Brian Friedman, who was a judge on Grease Is the Word.
23.
Simon Cowell returned for the fifth series in 2008, with Walsh, Minogue, and new judge Cheryl Cole, as Osbourne had decided to quit before the show began.
24.
Simon 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 launch The X Factor in America.
25.
Simon Cowell launched American The X Factor in September 2011 on American broadcaster Fox.
26.
Simon Cowell was no longer to be a judge on the UK version, but he would remain a major presence backstage.
27.
Simon Cowell's act Melanie Amaro won the season, making Simon Cowell the winning judge.
28.
In October 2010, Simon Cowell signed new three-year deals with ITV for both Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, retaining them until 2013.
29.
Simon Cowell joined judges Louis Walsh, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who replaced Sharon Osbourne, and new judge, former Spice Girls member Mel B, who replaced Nicole Scherzinger.
30.
On 13 December, Ben Haenow and Fleur East reached the final two, which meant that Simon Cowell was the winning mentor for the first time since series 3 2006, when he had both Leona Lewis and Ray Quinn in the final.
31.
In 2015, Simon Cowell returned to the X Factor for its twelfth series, along with veteran judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and newcomers Rita Ora and BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw.
32.
In December 2020 it was announced that Simon Cowell will be a judge on The X Factor Israel in 2021.
33.
In late May 2021, Simon Cowell announced he will be cancelling his appearance on the show in context of the Israeli aggression against Gaza.
34.
Simon Cowell states, "I was a fan of variety shows Opportunity Knocks and New Faces, and to be able to update that tradition, really was a buzz".
35.
Simon Cowell is the executive producer of America's Got Talent, which debuted in June 2006, along with Fremantle producers of the Idol series.
36.
Simon Cowell appeared as a judge alongside Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan.
37.
In December 2019, Simon Cowell signed a five-year deal with ITV ensuring Britain's Got Talent will stay on the channel until 2024.
38.
In 2015, Simon Cowell launched La Banda, his first US show since his stint with American The X Factor.
39.
Simon Cowell was announced as the replacement for Howard Stern on America's Got Talent on 22 October 2015.
40.
On 15 July 2020, it was announced that Simon Cowell had bought out Sony Music from their joint venture, Syco Entertainment.
41.
Simon Cowell co-produced the show with British entrepreneur Peter Jones, who had devised the concept.
42.
In 2006, Simon Cowell executive-produced Celebrity Duets, which was described as "an Idol show for Hollywood superstars".
43.
Simon Cowell was the executive producer of Grease Is the Word for ITV.
44.
Simon Cowell collaborated with UK production company Shed Media to produce 2008 ITV drama series Rock Rivals, which is based on an X Factor type show.
45.
In 2013, Simon Cowell was executive producer for ITV cookery series Food Glorious Food, which was hosted by Carol Vorderman.
46.
Simon Cowell did the same for a game show called Keep it in the Family, presented by Bradley Walsh in 2016.
47.
In 2018, it was announced that Simon Cowell created his first show to air on the BBC, titled The Greatest Dancer, which debuted on 5 January 2019.
48.
Simon Cowell has been involved in charity work for many years.
49.
Simon Cowell is a patron of Together for Short Lives, the leading UK charity for all children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
50.
Simon Cowell was patron of Children's Hospices UK between 2009 and 2011 before it merged to become Together for Short Lives.
51.
Simon Cowell donated money to Manchester Dogs' Home in England after it was hit by a large fire.
52.
In view of his charitable works, particularly the production of the charity single "Everybody Hurts" in aid of victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, as well as his services to the music industry, there was considerable media speculation as to whether Simon Cowell would receive a knighthood in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours, a proposal allegedly put forward by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
53.
In November 2003, Simon Cowell appeared on the charity telethon Children in Need where viewers pledged thousands to see him get sawn in half.
54.
In December 2003, Simon Cowell published his autobiography titled I Don't Mean to be Rude, but.
55.
Simon Cowell has appeared as a guest voice in an episode of The Simpsons, in which he gets beaten up by Homer Simpson.
56.
Simon Cowell's voice was heard on an episode of Family Guy, in which he told Stewie that his singing was so awful that he should be dead.
57.
Simon Cowell made an MTV Movie Award-winning cameo appearance as himself in Scary Movie 3, where he sits in judgment during a battle rap.
58.
Simon Cowell appears in the DVD version of Shrek 2 as himself in Far Far Away Idol and provided the voice.
59.
Simon Cowell was once the fastest "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" on BBC's motoring show Top Gear, driving a Suzuki Liana around the show's test track in a time of 1:47.1.
60.
When Top Gear retired the Liana along with its rankings after the eighth series, Simon Cowell was the eighth fastest overall and the third fastest non-professional driver.
61.
Simon Cowell has guest-starred in the popular talk show Live with Regis and Kelly during American Idol's finalist week in early 2006.
62.
Simon Cowell has appeared on the MTV shows Cribs and Punk'd.
63.
Simon Cowell was a partner in the Royal Ascot Racing Club, a thoroughbred horse racing syndicate which owned the 2005 Epsom Derby winner, Motivator.
64.
Simon Cowell was chosen as the first subject of the re-launched This Is Your Life, in an episode broadcast on 2 June 2007.
65.
Simon Cowell was presented with the Red Book by Sir Trevor McDonald while presenting American Idol.
66.
On 1 July 2007, Simon Cowell appeared as a speaker at the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium, London, to celebrate the life of Princess Diana almost 10 years after her death.
67.
In October 2013 Simon Cowell took part in a fundraising event in Los Angeles in support of the Israeli Defense Forces.
68.
The event raised $20 million and Simon Cowell made a personal donation of $150,000.
69.
Simon Cowell collaborated with a number of vocalists for the single, including Robbie Williams, Dua Lipa, Roger Daltrey and Rita Ora, and the song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart.
70.
Simon Cowell dated English presenter Terri Seymour from 2002 to 2008.
71.
Simon Cowell was engaged to make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy from 2010 to 2011.
72.
In 2013, Simon Cowell allegedly began dating an American woman named Lauren Silverman.
73.
News of the divorce filing became public two weeks later, when it was widely reported that Silverman and Simon Cowell were expecting a baby together.
74.
Simon Cowell subsequently confirmed that Silverman was pregnant with his child, and she gave birth to their son Eric on 14 February 2014.
75.
Simon Cowell has substance and the stomach to navigate us through difficult times.
76.
An opponent of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, Simon Cowell came out in support of Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.
77.
In 2019, Simon Cowell became a vegan after doctors advised him to change his diet for health reasons.
78.
In 2020, Simon Cowell announced he would be writing a seven-book series titled Wishfits with his son.
79.
On 8 August 2020, Simon Cowell broke his back after he fell off his new electric motorcycle which many press sources confused with an electric bike.
80.
Simon Cowell was taken to the hospital, where he underwent back surgery overnight.
81.
In 2012, Simon Cowell was featured in the BBC Radio 4 series The New Elizabethans to mark the diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
82.
Simon Cowell was announced to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 22 August 2018, in the Television category.