You Might Also Like: How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Adam Carolla Show
PodcastOne / Carolla Digital
4.5 • 36.3K Ratings
🗓️ 11 May 2025
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Introducing Simon Cowell - ‘I often think: what gives me the right to judge people?’ from How To Fail With Elizabeth Day.
Follow the show: How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Simon Cowell has built an entertainment empire on his ability to say exactly what he thinks and an uncanny ability to judge the public mood.
From launching Pop Idol in 2001, The X Factor in 2004 and the cultural behemoth Britain’s Got Talent in 2007, he has been at the helm of primetime around the world for over a quarter of a century. His TV shows and Syco record label have shaped the careers of everyone from One Direction to Little Mix, Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis.
But his success hasn’t come without its struggles. For the first time, Cowell opens up about his biggest failures and regrets - an extraordinary thing to hear from one of the most successful men on the planet. We chat about fame, bankruptcy, loss, being ‘obnoxious’ and whether he has any regrets. Plus: what breaking his back and a near-death experience taught him and why he thinks we needs another referendum on Brexit.
Britain’s Got Talent is currently airing on ITV, and America’s Got Talent celebrates its 20th year this summer on NBC.
‘The biggest risk is being safe’ - Elizabeth and Simon answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
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Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Mix Engineer: Josh Gibbs
Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello there. Did you know that you can hear all of the things that my guests might have failed to divulge in the main episode by joining us in our subscriber community failing with friends? It's where you will hear really riveting pieces of information like Olivia Atwood's dream date location or Miranda Hart's advice on performing bodily functions in front of your |
| 0:22.2 | partner. Just follow the link in the podcast notes and we will see you there. Welcome to How to Fail. |
| 0:39.4 | Now, this podcast was born out of my own failures in life. |
| 0:43.5 | And I firmly believe that we measure success in the lessons we've learned along the way |
| 0:48.2 | rather than the things that always go to plan. |
| 0:50.8 | So every week, I ask a new guest about three times they failed and what, if |
| 0:56.0 | anything, they've learned along the way. It was like publicly being humiliated, but I remember |
| 1:02.4 | someone shouting out, you wanker. And I went, actually, you're right, I am a wanker. Would you judge |
| 1:09.8 | as having sex? I'm like, are you winding me up? They went,er would you judge us having sex I'm like are you winding me up they |
| 1:12.9 | went no we'll pay you as well how much p's here's a list of reasons to use insta |
| 1:21.0 | the game is on the game just ended the next game is on life is busy with Instacart, you really don't ever have to leave the couch. |
| 1:30.8 | Do with this information what you will. |
| 1:33.3 | So download the Instacard app and get whatever you crave for the game |
| 1:36.0 | and whatever else you need delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. |
| 1:39.3 | Plus enjoy $0 delivery fees on your first three grocery orders. |
| 1:42.7 | Instacart, we're here. Service fees apply, |
| 1:45.7 | three orders and 14 days, excludes restaurants. My guest today remembers proffering his first |
| 1:51.1 | critical judgment at the age of four when he told his mother that her white pillbox hat made her |
| 1:57.9 | look like a poodle. Since then, Simon Cowell has built a multi-million-pound entertainment empire on his ability to say exactly what he thinks, and an uncanny capacity to judge the public mood. |
| 2:13.6 | It was Cowell who devised a plethora of wildly successful TV talent show formats that would |
| 2:19.1 | transform the face of popular culture. From launching Pop Idol in 2001, the X Factor in 2004, |
| 2:26.4 | and the cultural beamoth, Britain's Got Talent in 2007, he's been at the helm of prime time |
... |
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