Music and television mogul Simon Cowell faced a rigorous grilling during a promotional interview for his new Netflix series, with presenters questioning the show's authenticity and his record on duty of care.
Podcast hosts challenge Cowell's narrative
Appearing on the popular pop culture podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, hosted by journalist Marina Hyde and novelist Richard Osman, Cowell found himself on the defensive. The interview was part of a promotional blitz for his Netflix docuseries, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which follows the creation of his new boyband, December 10.
Osman directly questioned whether Cowell's executive role on the series compromised its genuineness. "You're so brilliant at controlling narrative... that I wondered if you exec-ing that show meant that we missed out on some genuine authenticity?" he asked, adding that parts felt "much more X Factor than I thought it was going to be."
Cowell's firm defence and 'annoying' questions
Cowell was adamant in his rebuttal, insisting the show was completely real. "What you see is what happened, and there weren't any second takes. Pinky thummy. I didn't," he stated, using his characteristic phrase. He doubled down as the interview concluded, telling Osman his scepticism was "kind of annoying," and comparing the process to magic acts on Britain's Got Talent where judges have no prior knowledge.
Hyde pursued a different line of attack, asking if he regretted airing footage of less talented auditions in what she described as an "X Factor theatre of cruelty." Cowell defended this as reality, stating, "I've always gone with about half a percent, if you're lucky, the people you see are going to be good."
Duty of care and meaningful consent for young stars
The conversation took a more serious turn when the hosts, taking listener questions, raised the issue of duty of care for the young pop acts Cowell has managed over three decades. As a mother of teenagers, Hyde pressed him on whether teens like One Direction or his new band, December 10, could "consent meaningfully to the risks and the rewards" of fame.
Cowell conceded that not everything had worked out perfectly but stated the "vast majority" had achieved fame and wealth. On the question of consent, he replied, "Yeah, I do... on the other side sometimes at that age there is a window which is you have got to just take the opportunity." He argued that for the members of December 10, this chance might not come again.
The interview ended on a lighter note, with the trio sharing a laugh over the boyband's unconventional name. Hyde joked it sounded like a "South American kind of Marxist terrorist organisation," a comparison Cowell admitted he now couldn't unhear.
Simon Cowell: The Next Act is available to stream on Netflix now. The boyband December 10 have released their first track. The Rest Is Entertainment podcast is available on Spotify.
