Simon Cowell

Celebrity

Simon Cowell: Biography

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Birth Name: Simon Phillip Cowell
Birth Place: Brighton, England
Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 10/07/1959, Libra
Profession: TV personality; music producer

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A sharp-tongued British personality whose cutting but often hilariously honest comments have dashed the dreams of countless aspiring singers, Cowell was a successful music producer before being tapped in 2001 to be a judge for Pop Idol, the British reality competition that was the basis for American Idol. Since then, Cowell has practically made a career out of being disliked, as his outrageous put-downs and tempestuous relationships with host Ryan Seacrest and former judge Paula Abdul have been a large part of Idol's mass appeal. Throughout his time on Idol, Cowell also launched several reality-competition series, including American Inventor, America's Got Talent and Celebrity Duets, as well as the short-lived matchmaking series Cupid. In 2010, Cowell announced he was leaving Idol in order launch a U.S. version of the popular British singing competition The X Factor, on which he's served as a judge since 2006.Simon Cowell Fast Facts:

Started out as a clerk in the mail room of EMI Music.
Launched his own record label, Fanfare, in the 1980s and had his first hit, "So Macho," with singer Sinitta.
Ranked No. 33 on the 100 Worst Britons We Love to Hate list on the UK's Channel 4 network in 2003.
Penned the 2003 book I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But... : Backstage Gossip from American Idol and the Secrets that Can Make You a Star.
Appeared in a 2005 PETA anti-fur ad, as well as a 2009 PETA commercial urging dog owners not to leave their pets unattended in hot cars.