Tony Cowell
‘The Hollywood Walk Of Fame? I thought they were joking!’
The X Factor is back on our screens, and it’s all change on the panel. Simon Cowell, 58, tells his brother Tony just how hard it was to say goodbye to Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh – and opens up about how emotional he felt the night he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame… How have the audition shows been this year? It was like being on another show. What was amazing was how quickly the new panel picked up how it works and what the job entails. I soon realised that both Robbie [ Williams] and Louis [Tomlinson] are big fans. They both watch the show, and you can tell. This year, it feels very different from the shows we’ve made over the years. It’s so much fresher. It’s a lot funnier and a bit more like Britain’s Got Talent.
Are you looking for a specific act – or the next One Direction?
I don’t think that will ever happen. There are a couple of good groups this year, but they’re very different from 1D or Little Mix. I’m not looking for a particular act. You’ll see from the first auditions – the talent is interesting and fresh.
There’s a new-look panel – what prompted that?
It wasn’t that anyone in the past had done a bad job on the panel but, at some point, you have to move on. That was difficult for me because Louis, Nicole and Sharon have all become friends. But I needed to make a very different show. Through a mixture of coincidence and lucky meetings, we got Robbie, [ his wife] Ayda and Louis all within a week.
Robbie is a great signing – have you always wanted him on the panel?
Yes. We’ve been friends for a while, and I’m a big fan. I always had a feeling that if he and I ever worked together it would be fun. Every year I asked him, but he wasn’t able to commit. When you see the first show, you’ll understand just how good he is.
What does Louis Tomlinson bring to the panel?
It wasn’t just to draw in a younger audience – though watching him on the show, you suddenly realise just how much younger than us he really is. With One Direction, Louis was always the one I was very close to. We became friends. Louis really cares about the contestants, and I love working with him.
Was it hard to let Louis Walsh go?
Yes, it was – but I told him, ‘Look, you have Ireland’s Got Talent,’ so it’s not as if we aren’t working together. I think he knew we had to change the panel and, in the end, he understood that. He
is a very close friend of mine and that will never change.
What did you say to him?
I just told him the truth. He got that and was very calm about it all. He’s got other businesses and he still wants to manage bands.
Can we expect changes during the live shows?
No, I don’t think so. I’ve talked to Robbie, Ayda and Louis, and asked for their input. If there are any changes, we’ll all discuss them first and I will listen to what they have to say.
How will Sharon [Osbourne] fit into the live shows?
Sharon will act as the impartial judge. She also knows Robbie really well, so that will help. She’ll be in her element, I’m sure. Everyone loves Sharon, because she speaks her mind and she’s such a great judge of talent.
Tell us about your new BBC show, The Greatest Dancer…
It was my TV team at Syco that came up with the idea, and I thought it was genius. I’ve seen some of the early shows and it looks amazing.
Was it easy to get Cheryl to do it?
(Laughs) No. But after she did the pilot for us, she loved it.
You were honoured on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame – what did you think when you first heard the news?
I was horrified – I thought it was a joke. I had such fun in the end. I got a bit sad and emotional on the night, thinking about how much Mum and Dad would have loved to have been there. They’d have been so proud. It’s strange, because Eric [ his four-year-old son] has recently started asking me lots of questions about Mum, and this year he let some balloons up in the sky on the anniversary of her death. He’s very cute and kind like that.
The X Factor is on Saturdays, 8pm, ITV