Simon Cowell Dishes on ‘American Idol’

0:00 Yeah, how about that LITTLE GIRL, HUH?

0:02 LAUGHTER.

0:03 YEAH.

0:03 I need a daughter like that in my life.

0:05 Yeah.

0:06 Hey, what about If anyone's got a spare one, I'll take her.

0:09 Now, you're opening up the question.

0:10 Do you want kids?

0:11 No.

0:12 Okay.

0:12 No, I would [laughter] take her, but

0:13 You would take her.

0:14 When you see people like that, you go, "Oh, that's an amazing child."

0:17 Yeah, she was sweet.

0:18 I just said you're an absolute natural.

0:21 Yeah.

0:20 Yeah, I might put her on the show.

0:22 Really?

0:22 Yeah, why not?

0:23 Did you ask her if she could sing?

0:24 No.

0:25 Start them young.

0:26 Well, you've got the America's Got Talent, too.

0:28 You're looking for all kinds of things.

0:29 We're We're auditioning for that at the moment.

0:32 All right.

0:32 Not going well.

0:33 Yeah.

0:35 Really?

0:36 America's Got Talent with a question mark.

0:40 [laughter]

0:39 Big question mark.

0:40 Wow.

0:42 Well, cuz it's like where are there Can there be Is there

0:44 anyone left who has an audition for some type of talent thing now?

0:47 No, we've got them all, but they're always welcome.

0:50 Yeah.

0:50 No, I love that show.

0:51 I love all your shows, you know that.

0:53 And we saw each other last week after Idol Gives Back.

0:56 We did.

0:56 We actually went out to dinner, and thank you for dinner, by the way.

0:58 You paid, and I appreciate that.

1:01 Absolutely.

1:01 Absolutely my pleasure.

1:02 Very sweet.

1:03 All right, so and now you and Ryan,

1:05 when we were showing that during Idol Idol Gives Back,

1:07 the going to Africa, that trip must have been must have changed your your life.

1:13 god.

1:13 I mean, we were uh persuaded to do it.

1:18 And with the the reason being that if you're going to talk about all this stuff,

1:22 you got to experience it,

1:23 because I don't think TV really tells you how bad things are.

1:27 And we went over there for 2 days,

1:29 and it was I mean, it changes your life, Ellen.

1:32 Yeah.

1:32 Yeah.

1:32 Yeah, I know.

1:33 People keep telling me to go, and I don't know that I can take it.

1:35 I mean, the the images to me are enough.

1:37 I don't know I could actually physically be there.

1:39 Well, you know, it's worth going because it makes you more aware, and we met,

1:44 honestly, some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life.

1:48 So, you know, I think it was it was the right thing to do.

1:50 Right.

1:50 And you got to go with your friend Ryan.

1:53 Well, [laughter]

1:54 that was the downside.

1:56 We had a We had a 12-hour journey, and I'm not exaggerating.

2:02 I think for 12 hours I had to hear everything about Ryan Seacrest,

2:06 to the point where we had to put him in the corner of the plane on his own,

2:10 because no one could hear anymore.

2:12 It is unbelievable.

2:14 And by the way, can I just say what a fantastic job you did on the show?

2:17 I love you.

2:18 I mean, really.

2:20 [applause and cheering]

2:21 Um I'm I'm Seriously,

2:24 I'm not actually used doing to doing a show where we have a good host.

2:29 Oh, come on.

2:29 I'm serious.

2:30 That is rude.

2:31 No, no, no, it's true.

2:32 I've I've said before

2:33 Ryan is fantastic, and you know it.

2:35 Well, I'll give RYAN IS FANTASTIC.

2:38 [applause] HE'S UH HE'S GOOD.

2:42 YOU'RE just a lot better.

2:44 Oh, well.

2:45 He's [laughter] He's here tomorrow.

2:46 I'm sure he'll have something to say about that.

2:48 he will.

2:49 Yeah.

2:49 But you do hang out.

2:50 Y'all are friends.

2:51 Yeah.

2:51 Yeah, we have a Thursday night club.

2:53 Is that Did that start right early on when you started doing the show?

2:57 Yeah, we amazingly actually got on well, myself, Randy, and Ryan.

3:01 So So, most Thursdays or Fridays we go out for dinner.

3:04 No, Paula is banned.

3:06 Oh, she can't come to the club?

3:07 No.

3:07 No, because she's like having, you know, like when you have a younger sister,

3:12 you just don't want her to come out with you.

3:15 Uh-huh.

3:15 That's what it's like with Paula.

3:17 So, she tries to keep y'all in line.

3:19 She just gets in the way.

3:20 Yeah.

3:22 [laughter]

3:22 So, who do you Who do you think is going to win and oh,

3:25 like first first cuz we're going to be gone.

3:27 Usually we get the people who are voted off, but we're going to be gone.

3:32 We're going to be in New York this week, so we won't get the two voted up.

3:34 Who do you think is going to be voted off, and who do you think is going to win?

3:38 That's a very good question.

3:39 Um I think the front-runners at the moment, I would say, are Jordan and Melinda.

3:46 Mhm.

3:49 [applause]

3:48 That's my gut feeling, although I wouldn't write off Blake or LaKisha.

3:53 I think the two who are vulnerable this week are Chris and Phil.

3:57 Really?

3:57 Yeah, I do.

3:58 Well, Chris has been in the bottom three before.

4:00 Phil's been in in the bottom three.

4:02 Yeah.

4:02 So, that makes sense.

4:04 kind of mildly disappointed nobody went last week, actually.

4:07 I always look for I do, I look forward to that point.

4:11 Does that sound bad?

4:12 Yes, it sounds bad.

4:15 [laughter] I think everybody else secretly likes it.

4:17 You know, it's It's like going to the Colosseum years ago,

4:20 and instead of doing that or doing that, you're doing that, and you know,

4:24 I think people like a bit of that.

4:27 Yeah.

4:27 Well, I'll tell you I I think everybody was was pretty mad,

4:30 because we we heard it was the most shocking result show ever,

4:34 and we're waiting, and then it's down to We're like,

4:35 "Oh my god, then Jordan's going to go." And then no one went,

4:38 and now I'm like furious that Jordan didn't go,

4:40 because I you know, not that I wanted her to go.

4:42 I think Jordan's great, but it's like boot someone off.

4:45 I mean, you know.

4:47 Yeah.

4:47 Well, where is Last week was Idol Gives Back.

4:50 This week it is Idol Takes Back.

4:52 Okay.

4:53 Two are going.

4:54 I see.

4:54 Yeah, I think that's going to be an interesting one.

4:56 I can't wait.

4:57 wait, too.

4:58 All right.

4:58 I really can't [laughter] wait.

5:00 Yeah.

5:01 All right.

5:01 Uh Double the misery.

5:02 We have to uh You're You know what?

5:05 And you're not as cruel as people think,

5:06 cuz I I found the soft spot in you last night.

5:09 Um

5:13 [cheering]

5:13 It had to come out sooner or later, Ellen.

5:17 [laughter] All right.

5:18 We have to take a break, and and I'll [laughter] We'll be right back.

5:23 We're back with Simon Cowell,

5:24 and he's talking about what a great audience you are.

5:26 He said that it's UH TO YOU.

5:29 [cheering] [applause] ALL RIGHT.

5:34 HERE'S THE THING.

5:35 YOU YOU AND THE and Paula and and Randy

5:38 are constantly talking while the contestant is singing.

5:41 You're always like What are y'all talking about?

5:45 These people are singing their hearts out,

5:47 and you're in the middle of What are you doing?

5:49 I'm taunting Paula throughout the performance.

5:53 Taunting her?

5:54 I'm saying to her, "Try and say something interesting.

5:56 Try not to use the [laughter]

5:59 Seriously, try not to use the word mountains and lakes in your critique,

6:03 cuz it's always you'll climb mountains,

6:05 swim lakes, whatever." And then I make things up about the song,

6:09 hoping she'll say it.

6:10 Like I say, "That was the theme song from Star Wars.

6:13 You should mention that." Anything.

6:15 But what How can you really critique them if you're not listening to them?

6:19 Well, I'll tell you a secret.

6:20 I actually watch the dress run.

6:23 Mhm.

6:23 Okay?

6:23 So, I can actually hear from the dress run much,

6:27 much easier what they really do sound like,

6:29 because when you're in there, it's so loud,

6:32 and it's so echoey, you can't and the audience are going nuts.

6:35 So, I kind of know pretty much what they're going to sound like because of that.

6:39 Well, that explains it, cuz I was watching this.

6:42 Take a look at this.

6:43 All right, let's back it up, and what What are you doing to Paula's nose?

6:46 LET'S BACK IT UP.

6:49 [laughter] [cheering and applause] YOU HAVE A HOLD OF PAULA'S NOSE.

6:57 I DON'T KNOW WHY I DID THAT.

6:59 Um I get a bit bored, really, and so [laughter] [applause]

7:07 What makes me laugh is cuz she's like my little poodle.

7:09 She just lets me She lets me do it, you know?

7:12 I just want to do that.

7:13 She's like She lets me pull her nose.

7:16 Well, that's fun.

7:16 Yeah, why not?

7:17 That's adorable.

7:17 Yeah.

7:18 Can I pull yours?

7:20 No.

7:21 [laughter] I WILL BITE YOU.

7:23 ALL RIGHT.

7:24 NOW, THIS IS A CLIP that I want to show you that is just I You are Now,

7:29 you're handsome, we know that, but wow, LET ME [cheering]

7:34 THIS I THINK IS ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, and you're on a game show.

7:38 Oh, no.

7:39 Sale of the Century.

7:40 Take a Oh my god.

7:43 Sale of the Century.

7:46 And our second challenger is a record company director from London.

7:50 He enjoys watching motor racing, and is a keen go-kart racer.

7:54 Please welcome Simon Cowell.

7:55 Hello, Simon.

7:56 How are you doing?

7:57 Simon, go-kart racing.

7:58 Is it fun?

7:59 Fantastic.

8:00 Is it dangerous?

8:01 Not really, no.

8:02 Are you sure about that?

8:03 Positive.

8:04 Really?

8:04 Yeah.

8:04 What sort of speed do you get up to?

8:06 About 10 mph.

8:11 [applause and cheering]

8:12 You know, I have never seen that.

8:13 You've never seen that?

8:14 Let me tell you the story.

8:14 The girl who I walked out with is my brother's ex-wife.

8:19 So, I was going to work, and she said she worked on this show.

8:22 Contestant has has pulled out.

8:23 Will you come on the show?

8:25 Yeah, why not?

8:26 When they asked me, what you didn't see on there,

8:28 what I did for a living, I told them I was a dolphin trainer.

8:34 [laughter] It's really embarrassing.

8:35 Wow.

8:35 And my hair.

8:36 Yeah, no, I thought you were handsome.

8:37 You're handsome.

8:38 I've got better looking.

8:39 Yeah.

8:40 Well, yeah, I think I think you did, too.

8:42 But it's because of fashion and you know,

8:44 everything kind No, it's just I'm better looking now.

8:47 Yeah.

8:47 So, I'm quite happy now I've seen it, but very embarrassing.

8:51 Yeah, no, not really.

8:52 I think you're a handsome devil.

8:53 Oh, it is.

8:54 All right.

8:54 We have to We're out of time,

8:56 but the soft spot that I was talking about, he's a huge, huge animal lover.

9:00 If you if I mean, the things I've heard

9:02 that you've done when you see someone abusing an animal, like stopping your car,

9:06 getting out, and saying something or doing something

9:08 that that you stand up for animal rights, I I love you for that.

9:12 Thank you.

9:14 Thank you.

9:16 [applause] I do the same thing.

9:16 So, You have to be.

9:19 And I I always say that if you're kind to animals, your life will be good.

9:24 Animals and children, you can't be horrible to either of them.

9:28 Adults is a whole different thing, but I agree with you.

9:31 I agree.

9:32 I love that about you.

9:33 And okay, so American Idol is, if you don't know,

9:35 airs Tuesdays at 8:00, Wednesdays at 9:00 on Fox.

9:38 And we come back, I'm going to call my friend Gladys.