Simon Cowell recently spoke with the Associated press about the new season of America’s Got Talent, which premieres on NBC Tuesday at 9/8c pm. He also dished a little bit about the third season of X Factor, set to begin in September.
After Sharon Osbourne departed the panel at the end of last season (over a flap with NBC regarding her son) Simon not only replaced her, but expanded the panel to include Heidi Klum and Melanie Brown.
“The new panel has jelled very well. There’s really good chemistry with the judges and the host (Nick Cannon),” he said. He also sang the praises of the series’ new producer, Sam Donnelly. “She’s totally revitalized the American show. It’s by far the best we’ve done.”
And on Season 3 of X Factor Simon says he felt confident after last week’s Charleston Auditions:
“If you’d asked me that question even a month ago,” Cowell replied, “I would have said I honestly don’t know.” But recent auditions in Charleston, S.C., were “by far the best two days we’ve shot” since the series began, he declared.
“It suddenly just clicked. And there’s one audition in particular that’s probably one of my favorites that I’ve ever been involved in – a one-in-10-million audition. I can’t stop thinking about it.
The talent is the least of X Factor’s problems. Horribly produced performances and a stiff judges’ panel were the issues. We’ll see if Simon got it right this time.
And Simon confesses that he didn’t watch a minute of American Idol this season:
“Not my problem anymore,” he chuckled when asked to diagnose what is plaguing “Idol.”
“It’s so much in my past now,” he said. “I deliberately this year didn’t watch a single second of the show.”
He also agrees that there are too many singing competition shows out there, but is challenged by the competition, “”But funnily enough, that doesn’t bother me. It makes you more focused.”
We’ll be covering America’s Got Talent right here on the blog, so stay tuned!
Via The Associated Press
