Simon Cowell has admitted that he, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan exhibited 'awful' and 'horrible' behavior towards singing legend Susan Boyle during her iconic 2009 Britain's Got Talent audition. The 66-year-old media mogul reflected on the trio's prejudiced attitude, acknowledging that the final TV edit did not fully capture the extent of their rudeness.
Cowell's Regret Over Susan Boyle Audition
Speaking on Jamie East's podcast 'Celebrity Trenches,' Cowell said: 'Her audition to look back on is just awful. No one in that audition bathed themselves in a nice light, did they?' He added that the edited version made them look bad, but in reality, they were even worse. 'I look back and I just think, "my God we look so awful, horrible." I actually don't think we look bad enough. I think we were even worse than that.'
Piers Morgan's Reaction
Cowell specifically called out Piers Morgan's dismissive look, calling it one of the worst he had ever seen. 'I mean that look that Piers gives me, I think out of all the looks I've ever remembered, that might be the worst. I was just as bad.'
Why the Reaction Was Kept in the Show
Despite having the power to cut the negative reactions, Cowell chose to keep them in as a wake-up call. 'You can't judge a book by its cover. We do look disgusting, but you have to hold your hands up at that moment and go, "A lot of people are going to realise in about 24 hours that we are just horrible." '
Susan Boyle's Perspective
Susan Boyle herself has spoken about the harsh judgment she faced. In 2019, she said: 'It felt quite suffocating, almost as though I was an act in a freak show, and that hurt.'
Piers Morgan's Admission
Piers Morgan has also been open about his initial attitude, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2019: 'Yeah, we thought she was just going to be a bit of a joke and we'd all have a good laugh. When she began to interact with us, she was making silly jokes and pulling funny faces and we're like: "Oh dear, this is really going to be the end." ' He described her performance as 'one of the most unexpected things I've ever seen in my life.'
Amanda Holden's Memory
Amanda Holden admitted in 2016 that she thought Susan Boyle was going to be a stand-up comic. 'To this day I thought Susan Boyle was going to be a stand-up comic. It still shocks me when I watch it, and she opens her mouth and sings.'
Susan Boyle's Lasting Legacy
Despite the initial negativity, Susan Boyle became a national treasure and recently received praise from actor Timothée Chalamet, who called her one of Britain's 'all-time greats' and sent her a Marty Supreme jacket. The friendship between the two has been widely celebrated.
