Simon Cowell has apologized to early years American Idol contestants for “being a dick.”

The music impresario and talent show judge said he was “not proud” of the way he insulted competitors on the series, which helped establish him as a household name when it launched on Fox in 2002.

In an interview with The New York Times , Cowell said his persona softened on American Idol over time because he recognized that he had crossed a line.

In the early years, Cowell said he was focused on finding talent and feared the show would be canceled if they failed. This led to a bluntness in his approach that he thinks was further heightened in the edit.

“When I used to do auditions, someone would come in and they can’t sing, we would say after 10 seconds, ‘You can’t sing,’ not, ‘You’re goin

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