LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 'America's Got Talent' has kicked up a new media storm with fans calling to replace Simon Cowell, who they believe has become "soft and boring”. The 63-year-old television personality recently claimed that even he has noticed an ‘empathetic’ change within, which primarily came from becoming a father in 2014 to his son, Eric.
Over the years, the record executive has amassed huge fame, thanks to his prolific showbiz acumen that gave birth to multi-million franchises like 'Got Talent' and 'The X Factor'. Apart from his celebrated business sense, Cowell is also known for his ‘grumpy’ and ‘harsh’ persona as a celebrity judge. His rude image was cemented after his close friend Sharon Osbourne made furious allegations after he kicked her out of the ‘X Factor UK’ panel. Osbourne and Cowell had been friends for as long as fans could remember before the bitter feud. They starred together on his television programs, including ‘America's Got Talent’ and ‘The X Factor UK’, where she contributed her talent as a judge.
Why Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell fought over 'The X factor'
Osbourne and Cowell’s bond has had its ups and downs through the years, but their friendship broke down when a fierce quarrel erupted after Simon fired Sharon from ‘The X Factor UK’ in 2018. Following her departure, the ‘No More Tears’ singer launched a series of jabs against the TV mogul. During an appearance on 'The Talk' in March 2019, Osbourne recalled how she had been approached to be a judge on ‘The Masked Singer’ but she chose to turn it down because of her commitment to Cowell and ‘The X Factor UK.’ But at the last minute, the media mogul allegedly changed his mind and believed that bringing Osbourne back could damage his show’s rating due to her elderly age.
Instead of bringing her back, Cowell wanted somebody to replace her who was young and current. "I was signed to go to England and then Simon Cowell changed his mind and thought I was too old," Osburne claimed, adding "Simon goes, 'She’s old. We need somebody young. So if you want young, fire yourself and get rid of those man t**s. Call me tomorrow and we’ll discuss it." The ‘Flying High Again’ star also alleged that women were paid much lesser than men on Cowell’s show. "It is a boys club, okay, it is, and the boys take care of each other, and the women are not paid as much as the men," she said of both The X Factor and AGT, according to the Sun.
'Simon doesn't like people who are overweight'
Later, Osbourne claimed that things between her and Cowell are now at much better place after having a one-to-one conversation over the phone. However, this peace didn’t last long as she decided to reignite the feud during the ‘Honest AF Show’ podcast. On the show, the singer claimed that Cowell has never liked overweight people and he’s somewhat lost touch with reality. “Simon doesn't have an ability to see individuals. He doesn't like people who are overweight. Seriously,” she said, adding “That’s why he turned down Jennifer Hudson, that's why he wouldn't champion her on American Idol. But it's the truth. He's very dated (in his views).”
Although it appeared the two were not on the best of terms after Osbourne’s claims, Simon tried to cool things down by expressing his interest in working with his former panelist again. "There will be other versions of these shows, I am sure, and she is always welcome back,” he told The Mirror. Now, it’s been said that Cowell and Osbourne are in a better place today than they were years ago, but things are nowhere near to how they used to be.
