Simon Cowell spoke with the media about what we can expect from the fast-approaching season eight and, as expected, the acerbic judge didn’t hold back when expressing his thoughts. As for the return of the Wild Card, Simon is all for it. Much like Ken Warwick, who talked to the media the other day as well, Simon thinks it will detract from the boredom that can set in from seeing the same faces throughout the whole season. As he put it, “This way this is a bit more jeopardy and hopefully a bit more fun in the middle stages.”
One thing that won’t change, however, is the way he dishes out his criticism, despite some of the media scrutiny surrounding his sometimes harsh words. Although he admitted to the fact that he has taken a closer look at his own style of judging, Simon has decided that most people who come on the show should understand the nature of it after seven seasons. In fact, he prides himself on the fact that the show can actually help a less talented singer to realize that singing might not be his or her career of choice. Simon addressed the rather cordial relationship he’s had with some of the people who have returned, year after year: “…you assume that everyone who enters American Idol kind of knows the score, that if you’re not great, you’re going to get some criticism. A lot of people have had criticism in the past, but they come back year after year after year and always seem quite happy to meet us afterwards. We’ve known some of these contestants for seven or eight years now.”
As far as the addition of Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge goes, he admits to some hesitation at first adhering to the old “If it ain’t broke” notion, but he was torn because of the success of four judges on the UK version. When asked about Ken Warwick’s revelation that there are times when Kara and Paula actually gang up on him, Simon said it definitely proved to be a tough situation for him. He goes on to say that they both have strong personalities, but the consolation is that he has Randy on his side. He wasn’t ashamed to admit, however, that he is absolutely thrilled with the fact that he is the deciding factor in a tie situation.
Simon was also asked about Paula’s recent comments in the media that Simon tries to distract her by whispering in her ear during the show, and Simon didn’t even try to deny it! He blatantly said, “I’ve done it from day one. I mean, that’s part of the relationship I’ve had with Paula. I’ve looked upon it, by the way, in a fun way. I mean, it was never done with any maliciousness.” He went on to say that Paula has never asked him to stop, or he would. He also said that he does the same thing to all the judges he’s worked with on all of the shows.
As for the controversial statement that a guy will win this year, Simon was quick to say that his speculation wasn’t about one male in particular. Instead, he based it on the fact that he saw a lot of stellar guys perform during Hollywood Week. But, as always, he points out that he could be wrong, as a Kelly Clarkson can always sneak up on you and “anything can happen.” On the whole, he calls them an “interesting bunch,” and he likes the fact that they stand up to him more than anyone from other seasons.
The biggest query that American Idol fans have had for years is what the future holds for the show. Simon said that he thinks it still has quite a bit of life left in it–even 10 to 20 years! While he, himself, said that it could prove to be too challenging for him to stay on beyond season ten, he doesn’t think this would hinder AI’s success. As he stated, “It could still continue without me. I’ve always believed that. This show is successful all over the world and I’m only on American Idol.” The key to its success so far, according to Simon? He said that FOX has been smart by not being greedy. Had the network put it on twice a year, he believes it “would have killed the process.”
Check out preview photos from Season 8 Auditions!
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