7 Questions with Simon Cowell

Five random facts about Simon Cowell: 1) He grew up in Elstree, Hertfordshire, (England). 2) He's created many competition shows, including American Inventor, which featured George Foreman as a judge.
3) Although he's known for his cold heart and blunt comments, he’s really a softy when it comes to animals, and has appeared in a video for PETA. 4) He's the godfather of pop singer Sinitta’s baby. 5) He began his career in the mailroom at EMI Music Publishing, where his father was an executive.

Zimbio: Do you think Paula Abdul should apologize to Jason Castro for commenting on his rehearsal performance on the live show?
Simon Cowell: Well, I don’t think it was necessary to be honest with you. I think the whole thing is being blown out of proportion it was a live show, she made a mistake. I don't think she needed to apologize to Jason at all. He's a grown-up. Look, it is a high class problem. He’s singing in front of 25 million people, you know. They are all lucky to be on the show. You have got to look at in perspective. And they are tough enough to deal with all of that. It is all part of the craziness of this show and the year it ever becomes normal is probably the year I will leave. Genuinely I like it when it is a bit loopy. I do. I think that on any show, whether it's Idol, whether it's America's Got Talent, if it's live TV, you embrace things when things go wrong. If it was a prerecorded show, none of this would have been shown, and it would have been a bit boring. There was no conspiracy. I hear all this stuff about it's rigged. We watch the dress runs occasionally. Sometimes we take notice of it. Sometimes we don't. She just got a bit confused.



Zimbio: Why do you think Jason has made it so far?
Simon Cowell: Because he’s good looking. I genuinely do. I said earlier, “If you look like the hunchback of Notre Dame you wouldn’t be in the competition.” But that’s the music business. He’s had some very good weeks, to be fair to him. When he did that version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Hallelujah,” he was terrific He’s very current, cute. He just struggled with Andrew Lloyd Webber and in particular Neil Diamond. It almost felt a little bit like he was giving up last week.

Zimbio I heard you have David Archuleta and David Cooks pegged as the top two. Why?
Simon Cowell: It is an easy guess, that one. Most of the decisions you make are based on the reaction you get within the studio and obviously what you then watch back and who’s the better singer, who’s more popular and I would be astounded at this stage if they didn’t make it. It is their final to lose right now. That’s my opinion.



Zimbio: Syesha Mercado is always in the bottom two, yet she hangs in there. Do you think she might actually make it to the final two?
Simon Cowell: If I was a betting man I don't think I'd put my money on her, but I take your point. She is a good singer she is solid. She should be very happy with where she’s got. For me, I just haven’t had that incredible moment from her yet.

Zimbio: Why does it seem like all the kids this year are playing it safe?
Simon Cowell: It is just one of those years where they’ve watched the show over previous years. David Archuleta, he was performing in front of Kelly Clarkson six years ago. It is on tape. I mean, it's like he’s gone to the University of American Idol. Safe song, safe message. I like people who just go a bit crazy sometimes. I’m dying for someone to scream at me one week and just say “I hate your guts.” I know they are thinking it. Sometimes I think I would like them to go, "I’d like to leave with my head held high than conform." I can’t bear all this conforming to be this and that. I think in the case of Kristy Lee Cook who I think actually became more likeable once she came out of her shell, it wasn’t the talking back that ruined it for her. It was the song that week. I certainly admired her more when she stood her ground. Sometimes it can however come across a bit like whining. What I object to is always blaming the genre because I think that you can work out an arrangement to suit you and I don’t like [when they say,] “I can’t sing this song.”



Zimbo: Of all the people who have been voted off, who do you think will still make it as a singer?
Simon Cowell: This may surprise you, but Kristy Lee Cook because I think that she knows who she is now and I did, I think, steer her in the right direction one week when I said “You are actually a country artist.” So I think she knows who she is and I think that audience will like her. She’s easy to market and she is interesting. I think Michael John was probably the only contestant who actually should have stayed on a bit longer. I was thinking this week it would have been nice to see him in the top four. I think he would have gotten better.

Zimbio: Last week, Neil Diamond told Brooke White, “Don’t listen to Simon.” How do you tell someone to listen to you and not Neil Diamond?
Simon Cowell: They choose to or they choose not to. In the case of Kristy Lee, she took the advice well and did it. Michael John's a very good example. When I said to him, and I said this to him off stage, “You’re not a rock singer. You are more of an R&B blues singer. You’ve got to choose the appropriate type of song. If you try to copy a lead singer in a rock group you will be voted out.” And he decided not to take my advice so you’ve got to take it case by case. Sometimes the advice is good, sometimes it may not be. But you can’t just give a comment like Neil Diamond said, “Just believe in yourself and everything will be fine" because it doesn’t work that way. Otherwise all four are going to win.