Simon Cowell's Biography

Simon Cowell, nicknamed Mr Nasty because of his savage criticisms on American Idol and The X Factor, has worked in the music industry for around three decades. His mentor was Pete Waterman.

In 1989 Simon Cowell joined BMG as an A&R consultant, and he thrived in his role. Cowell had an eye for spotting new talent and new trends. His many hit artists include boy bands like Westlife and television acts that moved into music like Robson and Jerome.

As a young man, Simon Cowell appeared as a contestant on Sale of the Century!

Simon Cowell came to the attention of a wider public when he appeared as a judge on Pop Idol.

Cowell has developed a 'Mr Nasty' persona and his reputation is such that hardly a week goes by without a pundit using the phrase 'the new Simon Cowell' as an adjectival phrase.

In October 2003, Britney Spears said that she liked Pop Idol but with regard to Simon Cowell: "I would take his advice and whatever he said and tell him to shove it."

Cowell has often had rows with his fellow judges on the TV shows in which he appears. For example, with Paula Abdul on American Idol and with Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh on The X Factor.

When the X Factor won the Best Comedy Entertainment programme category at the British Comedy Awards 2005, Simon Cowell said: "We're not a comedy programme, we're a serious factual drama."

Simon Cowell has written an autobiography, I Don't Mean to be Rude, but ...

Cowell, who used to go out with Sinitta, went out with model Terri Seymour until 2008 and has homes in Holland Park (London), Beverley Hills and Malaga.

In November 2005, Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller came to an out-of-court agreement, after Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls, had claimed The X Factor copied his Pop Idol format.

In 2007, he launched the ITV show Grease Is The Word.

Additionally he launched and became a judge on the hugely popular Britain's Got Talent.

In March 2009, Simon Cowell caused controversy in an interview with the Tonight Show, when he told Jay Leno about his appearance on the Royal Variety Show:

"She [the Queen] ignored me and her husband [Prince Phillip] called me a sponger. It was a bit embarrassing. It was a bit awkward."

Spokespeople for the royals denied Simon Cowell's comments.

In January 2010, Simon Cowell confirmed he would stop being a judge on American Idol at the end of the current season allowing him to devote time to delivering The X Factor to an American audience with Fox TV.

From time to time in 2009 and 2010 there were reports linking Simon Cowell to make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy.

In 2010 Simon Cowell was awarded a Special Award Bafta for outstanding contribution to television and development of new talent.

In October 2010, Simon Cowell signed a contact with ITV which meant that the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent would return to the broadcaster for at least three years.

In April 2011, it was revealed that Simon Cowell would not appear as a weekly judge on the next series of The X Factor in the UK, instead he would focus more on the US version.

However, in 2014, Simon Cowell decided to return to the UK show and the US version of X Factor was axed.

On 14 February 2014, Cowell's partner Lauren Silverman gave birth to a boy, whom they called Eric.

In 2020, he had an accident on his electric bike and broke his back.