Nasty Simon Cowell vs. Nice Guy Simon Cowell: What Happened to the Mean Judge?

It’s no secret that Simon Cowell used to be the toughest judge in the history of television judges. If you haven’t had “I don’t mean to be rude…but” ingrained in your head after watching American Idol, you haven’t seen Cowell in his prime. He has gotten progressively nicer in the past couple of years, and fans can’t help but wonder: what made Cowell a nice judge?

Cowell began his judging career in 2001 with Simon Fuller’s creation of Pop Idol in the United Kingdom. After Pop Idol came the United States spin off, American Idol, which we all know and love. Cowell took his spot at the American Idol judges’ table for the first time in 2002, and has became a household name for his attitude, sass, and harsh criticism ever since.

What Made Simon Cowell a Nicer Judge?

1 Dog Acts

Even someone who was once described as a grinch can be obsessed with furry friends. Cowell loves this type of act, and can be seen beaming every time they’re on the America’s Got Talent Stage. Cowell has gone as far as to beg other judges to make sure some dog acts get through.

2 Child Contestants

Even in Cowell’s prime judging days, he was known to be nicer to children who audition. But, since his son Eric was born, Cowell has taken his hand off the red buzzer for most children on the stage. In 2016, Cowell spoke about how he has become softer on television.

“There’s no question when you actually have a kid, it does make you feel different because you understand how you would feel if it was your son up there,” Cowell told People.

Cowell’s son has softened him up, we love to see it.

Still, we were a bit worried during Victory Brinker‘s audition this season. When the 9-year-old opera singer finished her act, Cowell said they couldn’t give her a yes today. Our hearts, and the hearts of America sunk when he acted as if they weren’t going to let this amazing act through to the next round. We were relieved when the judges instead decided to do the first group golden buzzer.

3 Good Acts Get Good Responses

This really shouldn’t be a surprise. Although Cowell has always been a tough judge, he’s never too rude to the acts that are actually good. He’s the type of judge that will have favorite acts, and won’t be secretive about it. Typically, judges’ favorite acts of the season are the ones that they Golden Buzzer.

As this season of AGT moves on, we’re eager to see if Cowell stays nice, or if his attitude and sass will come out once again. He’s already had a few slip ups where he stated the truth a bit harshly, will these continue? Is Cowell really a nicer judge in 2021, or is he actually a ticking time bomb? Only time will tell when AGT returns in mid-August for the live shows.

The post Nasty Simon Cowell vs. Nice Guy Simon Cowell: What Happened to the Mean Judge? appeared first on Talent Recap.