Daytime TV has seen several American Idol alumni enter the field to varying degrees of success. So far, Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson have gained major ratings and acclaim for their stints as talk show hosts. And interestingly enough, there could’ve been another Idol veteran in the daytime space – OG judge Simon Cowell. The star is a relatively interesting and entertaining personality, so it's not hard to believe that he was once offered a hosting gig. However, Cowell ended up backing out of the deal, and the reason may surprise you.
The America’s Got Talent judge opened up about the surprising revelation while promoting America’s Got Talent: All-Stars (which we know a few things about) with E! News. The show’s development was apparently quite far along but, in a seemingly uncharacteristic move, Cowell pulled the plug at the last minute. I would've never guessed his reasoning for doing so, which is that he isn't good at talking:
I got to the point where they built the set and I started to get anxious and then really stressed out, and I just walked out the meeting. I just said I literally couldn't do this. I just couldn't talk to people all day long. I'm not very good at talking.
It’s surprising to hear the man known as “the tough judge” say that he's not the best when talking with others. It just goes to show that even the most seemingly confident person can have anxiety when it comes to public speaking. A daily chat show would've been a nice notch in his professional belt. He's best known for American Idol and for creating the X Factor and Got Talent franchises, and such a series would've built on all of that nicely. As confusing as his “not very good at talking” comment might be, you have to give the man credit for knowing what his strengths and weaknesses are. Had he jumped into the production as planned, things could've gone awry quickly.
I can't help but wonder what format Simon Cowell would’ve taken on had he moved forward with the talk show. The Kelly Clarkson Show has the musical variety talk show lane on lock, and the format has won several Daytime Emmys for the program and its host. Clarkson's success even led to her taking over Ellen DeGeneres’ previous timeslot. While The Jennifer Hudson Show is in its freshman season, the program has mixed entertainment and everyday life smoothly and has earned decent ratings and created viral moments like Hudson performing with Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph. So would Cowell have done a straightforward chatfest or delved into the tabloid space? Or take some ques from late-night talk?
We'll probably never know, but what is apparent is that the competition within the talk show space is already fierce, and it may be best that he chose to sit out. I'll remained surprised by his reason for doing so, but I'm glad we can still see him on the small screen via other shows.
On that note, viewers can see Simon Cowell weekly by watching America’s Got Talent: All-Stars every Monday on NBC at 8 pm EST. They can also catch The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Jennifer Hudson Show in daily syndication Monday through Friday as well. If you want to keep up with these offerings and more, check out our 2023 TV schedule.
