Simon Cowell’s reputation is notorious. The reality TV judge is known for his acerbic comments and intolerance for incompetence. As the seasoned judge of “American Idol”, “America’s Got Talent”, “Britain’s Got Talent”, and “The X Factor”, he has had a lot of acts come before him.
Simon is often one of the first judges to recognize whether an act is good or not. Often his fellow judges are puzzled and even shocked by his critiques of some contestants that appear to be quite talented.
During one episode of “America’s Got Talent”, an adorable pair of kids named Paige and Artyon, ages 8 and 9, were preparing for their performance in front of the judging panel. Artyon admitted he was very scared of Simon, and Paige added:
“I just don’t want to be buzzed by him.”
When they get on stage, Howie Mandel mentions how the adorable kids look like mini versions of Heidi Klum and her ex, Seal. But looking cute isn’t enough to get ahead in a competition like this.
Simon was relieved when he heard the pair wasn’t going to be singing, obviously fearing the worst. The pair then proceeded to bust out their synchronized dance and gymnastic moves to the song “Barbie Girl”.
While most of the judges were happy throughout the performance, Simon looked a bit perplexed. It didn’t take him long to hit the fabled buzzer.
Heidi, who was sitting next to him, shoved his shoulder, and Mel B. proclaimed:
“What’s wrong with you?”
Even host Tyra Banks was confused by Simon’s reaction to the performance.
Fortunately, the duo kept dancing and were not distracted by Simon’s interruption. When they completed their routine, Heidi stood up to show her support, and the the crowd gave a roaring applause.
Heidi complimented the duo on their hard work, and then turned towards Simon:
“I loved it. I really loved it. How could you buzz them?”
Simon defended his decision, telling the kids:
“I like you. I think that you’re talented. But you need a lot more experience, and that song it’s not fun.”
The crowd booed Simon for his commentary as the pair’s mothers looked on in dismay from backstage. Despite being critical of their song choice, Simon added:
“You’ve got great chemistry the two of you.”
Heidi pointed out how Paige and Artyon sustained their composure during Simon’s critique:
“I love that you’re still smiling, even though he’s so mean.”
Mel B. called Simon “grumpy” and said she loved the song choice. Howie added:
“You are so expressive and so exciting to watch, and it just made me smile the whole time.”