by Jed Eane

Created on: May 27, 2007

What is it with Simon Cowell? Or rather, why does he seem to attract such a lot of interest in the States? As far as we're concerned in the UK, he's just a rich music producer, who's slightly obnoxious (and a bit camp, too). He knows that the obnoxious bit is his biggest appeal so cleverly plays to that. But, he is honest. And maybe that's what the attraction is: he says what he thinks - and what a lot of others are thinking, but maybe a bit too polite to say. He's good entertainment value, for sure.

Cowell was born in 1959, and raised in Elstree, Hertfordshire, in England. He left school at 15 and his dad got him a job at EMI Music, where he worked his way up to record producer. He started his own record label, Fanfare, which subsequently folded. He was then offered a job at BMG, and became responsible for some of the hits of the time from bands such as "Westlife."

Cowell became a celebrity, however, due to "Pop Idol," the singing talent contest which was, and still is, a huge success. Cowell was responsible for its inception, and became a celebrity as a result of sitting on the panel of judges. Cowell was the judge whom the audience loved to hate, due to his sometimes callous rejection of contestants. Cowell's celebrity status continues to grow (as does his bank balance), given that "Pop idol" has now been transported to the States, and with it so has Cowell who sits on the panel, again giving his sometimes all-too-honest opinion.

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