Simon Cowell Biography

Simon Cowell was born on October 7, 1959, in Lambeth, London, England, to Eric Philip Cowell and Julie Brett. His father was an estate agent and music industry executive, while his mother was a ballet dancer. He is of mixed ancestry, and has one brother and several half-siblings.

He attended Radlett Preparatory School, but did not like the rules and regulations of the school and was frequently reprimanded for bad behavior.

He went to Dover College, but dropped out before completing his education. He had interests in films and music, but not in academics.

He did several menial jobs after dropping out. His father arranged for him several interviews for various jobs, but Cowell found those jobs boring. He got an opportunity to work as a runner on the sets of the movie The Shining, but he quit as he could not get along with other staff members.

He finally landed a job as a mail room clerk at EMI Music Publishing with the help of his father. His interest in music and television enabled him to move up the ladder and he became an assistant to an A & R executive in 1979.

He left the company in the early 1980s and formed E&S Music in collaboration with his former boss. However, the company did not last long.

In 1985, he formed Fanfare Records with his partner Iain Burton. The company produced hits like So Macho and Toy Boy and enjoyed short term success. However, the company was shut in 1989, forcing Cowell to move in with his parents.

He was offered the position of an A&R consultant by BMG in 1989. His responsibility was to scout for talent and find new artists for the company. He did well and introduced artists like Robson & Jerome to the music industry.

He was selected to serve as one of the judges in Pop Idol, a British television music competition show on ITV in 2001. The show ran till 2003. He soon became notorious for his blunt and often rude criticisms aimed at the contestants.

In 2002, he founded Syco Entertainment, a global joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. The company deals with music, television, and digital content, and is the producer of The X Factor and Got Talent franchises.

He was one of the judges of American Idol along with Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and many others. The format of this show was based on the British reality show Pop Idol. He judged the show from 2002 to 2010.

He created a music competition titled The X Factor in 2004. The original U.K version of the show was so successful that it was adapted into numerous versions around the world.

Inspired by the immense popularity of the competitions, Cowell designed a competition format that was open not only to the singers but also to other performers like instrumentalists, comedians, magicians, etc. Thus, the Got Talent franchise was born and America’s Got Talent debuted in 2006.

Over the years, he has produced and co-produced several other shows like American Inventor (2006), Rock Rivals (2008), and Red or Black? (2011).

In partnership with YouTube, Cowell launched a video-sharing competition called The You Generation in 2013.

In 2018, it was announced that Cowell had created his first BBC show titled The Greatest Dancer, which debuted in January 2019.

He is well-known for being a brutally honest judge in reality television shows, such as Pop Idol, American Idol, and The X Factor. During the shows, Cowell comments on the participants’ performances and abilities in an insulting and scathing manner.

He created the highly successful television show franchises The X Factor and Got Talent which became so popular in the U.S. and the U.K. that it led to spin-offs in several other countries all over the world.

He was honored with the Special Recognition Award at the 14th National Television Awards, U.K., in 2008.

He won the BAFTA Special Award in 2010, for his outstanding contribution to the television industry and commitment to new talent.

Simon Cowell has been linked with many women in the past, including Sinitta and Danni Minogue. He dated Terri Seymour from 2002 to 2008. He was engaged to Mezhgan Hussainy from 2010 to 2011.

He supports various charities that work with underprivileged children. He is involved with an association of Children’s Hospices and has also appeared in a PETA video.

Cowell began dating Lauren Silverman in 2013. In July 2013, Silverman's husband and Cowell's friend, Andrew Silverman, filed for an at-fault divorce, mentioning adultery by his wife and naming Cowell as a co-respondent. On February 14, 2014, Cowell and Lauren welcomed their son Eric. In January 2022, Simon Cowell got engaged to Lauren Silverman.

Simon Cowell has a phobia of germs and reportedly avoids shaking hands with people whenever possible.

He is an avid collector of classic cars, with a particular fondness for luxury vehicles.

Cowell is known for his love of animals, especially dogs, and has been involved in various animal welfare charities.

He once appeared as a guest voice on an episode of "The Simpsons," showcasing his sense of humor and willingness to poke fun at himself.