“Look, every one of us is gonna say at one point, ‘God, I shouldn’t have said that,’” he admitted of his penchant for brutally honest feedback.

Simon Cowell says he’d reject his own son if he didn’t have singing chops: ‘Darling, you can’t sing’

"Look, every one of us is gonna say at one point, 'God, I shouldn't have said that,'" he admitted of his penchant for brutally honest feedback.

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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December 24, 2025 4:00 p.m. ET

Simon Cowell on 'America's Got Talent'. Credit:

Simon Cowell is notoriously brutally honest, and he promises even his own family is not immune to his criticism.

"If Eric, my son, said, 'Dad, I want to be a singer,' and he sang to me and every note was outta tune, I would say, 'Darling, you can’t sing.' I wouldn’t lie to him," Cowell told *Rolling Stone*.

Cowell, who has harshly judged singing talent on shows such as *American Idol *and *The X Factor*, made the comments when the outlet asked the star whether or not he thinks he's ever crossed the line into downright cruelty with his remarks. "Look, every one of us is gonna say at one point, 'God, I shouldn’t have said that,'" he admitted. "But it’s kinder to be really clear to someone who has zero talent."

Simon Cowell and his son Eric Cowell attend the 'America's Got Talent' season 19 quarterfinals in 2024.

Amanda Edwards/Getty

He continued, "Do not think that if you carry on doing this, something magical is gonna happen and you are gonna become the biggest rock star or pop star in the world, if you can’t sing. The show is supposed to be honest, and I’m not going to bulls--- these people and give them fake hope."

Cowell previously admitted that he was "being a d---" during his years on *American Idol* in particular, which he starred on as a judge from 2002-2010. “I wasn't trying to be a d--- on purpose," Cowell told the *New York Times* in a recent interview. "All I wanted with these shows was to find successful artists to sign to the label. So when all these people were coming in and they couldn’t sing, we would say after 10 seconds, 'You can't sing.' Not, 'You're going to be brilliant.'"

But, he admitted he did eventually realize he'd "probably gone too far." Cowell told the outlet, "I didn't particularly like audition days, because they're long and boring. I would get fed up. And of course, out of a hundred nice comments, what are they going to use? They're always going to use me in a bad mood. I got that. What can I say? I'm sorry."

Simon Cowell acknowledges 'being a d---' on 'American Idol': 'I'm sorry'

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Even still, Cowell admitted he was "not proud of" those moody moments, many of which went viral. "When I hear about these clips, I’m like, 'Oh, God.' But then again, the upside is that it made the shows really popular worldwide."

The music mogul currently stars on *Simon Cowell: The Next Act*, in which he looks for the next hit boy band. All six episodes of the show are now streaming on Netflix.

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