Not only tricks, Simon Cowell also received backlash for comments like slapping contestants in the face when he was a judge on a reality show.
According to Mirror, Simon Cowell and Bruno Tonioli – the new judge of Britain’s Got Talent – played a prank that made thousands of viewers during the filming in Manchester (UK) gasp. Specifically, Tonioli used a fake crossbow to shoot at Cowell and immediately, his colleague fell to the floor, pretending to be in pain. When they realized this was just a joke to attract attention, the audience was extremely angry. Photo: The Mirror.
Laura Sugden, who was attacked with a real crossbow, told The Sun: “The stunt was disgraceful. I can’t believe it was allowed on such a big show. Crossbows aren’t banned, but they are deadly weapons.” Many other comments called for a boycott of the show because it was misleading viewers with a dangerous prank. Photo: PA.
In 2015, Louis Walsh, a former X-Factor judge, accused Cowell of turning the show into a mess, making wrong decisions and changes that caused the show’s ratings to plummet. Not only that, the TV star also accused Cowell of unjustified and fabricated blame. He said: “He once said the audience was bored with my appearance. But clearly, it wasn’t my fault, it was all his fault. Simon messed everything up.” Photo: Digital Spy.
The decline of X-Factor forced Cowell to decide to leave the show. The audience also expressed their boredom when having to witness the British media mogul’s tricks in the hot seat. Photo: Hollywood Reporter.
“I don’t want to be rude, but…” became a staple of Cowell’s time as a judge. What followed was a bit of a stinging rebuke. He once made a contestant cry by bluntly saying: “If you lived 2,000 years ago, I think you’d be stoned to death” or “I’ll grab a sickle if you don’t shut up.” Photo: Shutterstock.
In 2013, the audience hated Cowell so much that they tried to storm the stage to attack him. The incident happened at the Britain’s Got Talent final, when the brother and sister contestants – Richard and Adam Johnson – were performing an opera, a girl suddenly appeared with a box of eggs in her hand and threw it straight at judge Cowell. Security quickly took the girl off the stage but Cowell was covered in eggs. Photo: Entertainment Weekly.
According to The Sun, Cowell’s comments were like a slap in the face to the contestant, but after becoming famous for his spiteful and unpleasant attitude, Simon Cowell gradually became a “phenomenon” when mentioning judges on reality TV shows. Some viewers think he has a unique personality, but others do not support this judge’s easily angering statements. Photo: Buzzfeed.
