Simon Cowell spoke with Ellen DeGeneres before the premiere of The X Factor’s third season to cover a wide range of topics, including the previous season’s marquee judge, Britney Spears. Cowell said he thought it was a mistake to bring her on because she’s not much of a talker.
MTV News reports that Cowell began explaining how they decided to get Spears, noting that last year, there was a race to get the biggest pop stars to judge singing competitions, so they went after Spears. “And she was fine, but I think she found it very uncomfortable,” Cowell said.
“She's not a big talker,” DeGeneres noted and Cowell chuckled.
“I didn't realize that,” he said. “I kind of booked someone who couldn't talk, which is a bit of a problem when you want someone to judge.”
Cowell said that he did like her, but she just felt “uncomfortable.” He added that he still likes working with women on his judging panels, which is why Demi Lovato is coming back and why Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio joined the show.
According to The NY Daily News, he also talked about being a new parent, since Lauren Silverman is pregnant with his child. Her divorce is now settled, so he’s looking forward to raising the child when its born.
“These things happen and everything is kind of calm now, and I’m happy,” he told DeGeneres. “I’m actually happier than I’ve ever been.”
Cowell’s interview aired today.
image: Fox