Los Angeles, CA, USA
A celebrated name in the US and British TV industry, Simon Cowell became the most recent recipient of Hollywood Walk of Fame as he was given one on Wednesday morning.
As he was given the honour, the British television and music mogul basked in the limelight and recalled his time as a reality show judge, record producer and creator of long-running franchises ‘The X Factor,’ ‘America’s Got Talent’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’
At the unveiling, Simon got nostalgic and said, “It’s been a blast the last 18 years. If anyone says fame is a bad thing, I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s the best thing in the world.”
Simon became a household name as a judge on ‘American Idol’ from 2001-2010 thanks to his harsh critiques of aspiring singers, often starting with: “I don’t mean to be rude but...”. He was nicknamed Mr Nasty of talent show ‘American Idol.’
After ‘American Idol’, he went on to launch “The X Factor” in Britain and the United States, and the British and U.S versions of ‘Got Talent,’ as well as signing boy band One Direction and girl band Fifth Harmony to his Syco record label.
At the event, Simon was heard saying: “Thank you, all of you, for turning up and making this happen. It means an awful lot to me.”
He was joined by the first ‘American Idol’ winner, Kelly Clarkson, British ‘X Factor’ winner Leona Lewis, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson and “America’s Got Talent” judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Mel B.