The real reason Simon Cowell stopped trademark insults after Tom Jones criticism
Simon Cowell turns 65 today, and in recent years, he's toned down the caustic and catty insults he was renowned for in his X Factor days.
Simon Cowell was called out by Sir Tom Jones this summer, when he exclusively revealed to the Express that his judging rival's insults "go too far".
However, that's not the real reason Simon has chosen to tone it down since the days when he compared singing hopefuls to the sounds of cats getting strangled, telling some would-be stars that they might have the worst vocal abilities "in the world". In fact, it turns out that the music mogul has chosen to tone down his notoriously acerbic criticism due to becoming a parent.
A proud dad to son Eric after once believing he'd never have children or settle down, Simon now feels more protective over the feelings of young people desperate for a showbiz career. He revealed that fatherhood made him think twice before insulting contestants, as he would not want someone like his son to have their dreams dashed in the blunt and uncompromising way he was formerly known for himself.
His comments come after Sharon Osbourne told Greatest Hits Radio that her time on the show with him was "kind of like the Wild West". "As well as giving a lot of people opportunities with their careers, it can also damage a lot of people too. You have to be very, very careful," she stated.
"You're handling people's lives, you've got their future in your hands and it's not anything to laugh at." For his part, Simon revealed: "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."
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Meanwhile, The Voice UK judge Sir Tom Jones, who has had a musical career spanning several decades and sold over 100 million records, also believes that Simon's insults were often over the top.
He exclusively shared his thoughts with the Express at a roundtable to promote the launch of The Voice earlier this year, revealing that he feels talent shows like the X Factor "take it too far".
"Simon Cowell has done that, you know, by saying, 'Why are you on this show? What makes you think you can sing? Who told you you can sing'. I mean, Jesus!" he exclaimed.
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David Walliams appeared to have taken over his trademark role as Mr Nasty on one occasion when a BGT contestant arrived in a UFO.
He quipped: "I think we can agree Prince Andrew can go up in the spaceship", to gasps of shock.
The seemingly reformed Simon warned David: "I'd be careful if I were you. You’ll be out of a job and end up a contestant on Pointless next year!"
In fact, David did later end up being axed from the show following an embarrassing blunder when controversial comments he made about contestants between auditions were picked up on microphone.