“Simon isn’t the evil guy you think he is”: Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest’s Legendary American Idol Rivalry Reportedly Scripted
Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest were the prominent faces of American Idol. The show is one of the most iconic shows in the recent past. It has had many great contestants, who went on to do great things. The popular show has a rich history and is super popular with fans everywhere.
However, a running gag on the show was judge Simon Conwell and host Ryan Seacrest’s rivalry. The two had an on-screen feud which was super entertaining. But reportedly, this spat between the two celebrities was scripted and not genuine at all!
Simon Cowell And Ryan Seacrest’s American Idol Feud
The famous television personalities Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest are one of the best media moguls in America. Cowell has won millions of fans due to his charming personality and amazing judging skills. He is best known for his work on The X Factor. Simon Cowell previously worked as a judge for the American television competition shows Pop Idol from 2001 to 2002 till 2010.
While Ryan Seacrest is quite famous and is one of the most in-demand hosts on American television. The former host of Live With Kelly and Ryan announced his departure from the same-name show earlier this year. According to reports, the feud between Simon Cowell and host Ryan Seacrest on American Idol was staged.
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In 2008, Cowell and Seacrest had a public spat in which the American Idols judge joked that Ryan Seacrest’s colleague should come out of the closet. After the episode received backlash it was later revealed the joke was scripted. The American Idol star has been the show’s host for two decades.
In a previous interview with Oprah Winfrey, Simon Cowell opened up about his fake scripted fights on the titular show and his relationship with Ryan Seacrest. He said,
“I see Paula maybe two seconds before the show starts. Ryan, it’s the same thing. Ryan has developed this – he’s like a mosquito in your face. It’s like he’s flying around, and you want to swat him but he can’t be bothered. That’s my relationship now with Ryan.”
Cowell continued,
“They used to be more groveling towards me. As the show has gotten more successful, they got more confidence . . . and they probably dislike me more than seven years ago.”
In a previous interview, Ryan Seacrest revealed that he is still friends with Simon Cowell. The talented host said,
“We’re actually friendly. We don’t hold a grudge. We have a very competitive spirit and attitude on the show, but we’re friends. I would be there for him if he needed a loan or something … because he’s really hurting.”
During the incident, sources claimed,
“Most of these rifts have been outlined. Simon and Ryan are real good friends off-camera. When the show is on the road for auditions, the two go for drinks and dinner. American Idol’s top producer decides who the hit show’s resident Mr. Mean will feud with, the source claims.”
Another source revealed,
“The executive producer of the show, Nigel Lythgoe, watches the rehearsals and writes notes on who Simon should make snarky comments about. That’s what’s on the sheets of paper on the judging desk. Simon is not the evil guy you think he is. The truth is Ryan is just as focused on the show’s popularity as Simon. There’s no real drama. It’s all for the cameras!”
The feud between Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest on American Idol in 2008 was reportedly staged, and they are still friends.
Ryan Seacrest Reflects On his American Idol Journey
In a candid interview, Seacrest opened up about his journey on the show and how he felt when he first started hosting the show.
Ryan Seacrest said,
“I remember two things: One was hearing about the success of the show in the U.K., so we thought maybe it would be a show that people might tune into. In no way did we think it would be as popular as it was. The second thing that made an impact was that friends of mine who couldn’t care less what I do were watching the show and calling me to say, this is really cool and fun and different and my friends are talking about it.”
He continued,
“So at the initial stage, you felt that there was impact. But I do remember Randy Jackson and I wondering in the first couple weeks of the first season, do you think we’ll get a second season? When will we know? When will we get the pickup? Because you’re so used to one and out, we were anxiously awaiting the pickup for season two, and then it began to snowball.”
Recalling his favorite moment on the show Seacrest shared,
“The greatest moment was probably the first finale because of the energy in the nation rooting for Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini and us not knowing what the show was really all about yet. There was still a naivety about it all for us and I remember how pure and how simple that was. A Moment Like This was the song and there was confetti and fireworks and we didn’t yet know what impact the show was going to have in popular culture over the years.
The media mogul continued,
“I think back to those early days. We always have fun, but we really pushed the limit of fun with Randy, Paula Abdul, and Simon in the beginning and many times we were told to cool it down a little bit. But I enjoy each year standing on the end of the stage when the finalists are there and getting to say, The winner of American Idol is…”
American Idol Season 21 air weekly on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: People magazine
