Simon Cowell Comments on Britney Spears’ Unhappy Experience on The X Factor
Simon Cowell and Britney Spears at an X Factor viewing party in Los Angeles in December 2012.
Credit:
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Key Points
- Simon Cowell expressed regret over Britney Spears’ negative experience on The X Factor.
- Cowell stated he offered Spears an exit from the show if she wished.
- Spears served as a judge during the show’s second season in 2012.
Simon Cowell is reflecting on his decision to invite Britney Spears to join The X Factor as a judge in its second season. While Spears participated in the 2012 show, she later revealed that she “absolutely hated” her time on it in her memoir. During an interview with The New York Times, Cowell shared his concerns about whether Spears genuinely wanted the role, noting he had offered her an opportunity to step away if necessary.
Cowell, 66, recalled hearing that Spears, 44, was interested in working with him. Though he initially doubted it would happen, he scheduled a call with her. He was pleasantly surprised to find the “Gimme More” singer engaging and enthusiastic during their two-hour conversation. “She just really, really want[ed] to do it, I think for the right reasons, which was to be a mentor,” he said. “I’m like: Brilliant.”
Following their initial conversation, Cowell felt compelled to have a second call, unsure if Spears’ enthusiasm was genuine. He was reassured when she confirmed her desire to participate. However, her attitude shifted during the promotional press junket for the season. Cowell recalled, “We do a press launch, and Britney’s there and she doesn’t look that happy. And I said, ‘What’s the matter?’ She said, ‘I didn’t realize there was going to be so much press around.’” He noted that she struggled with the requirement to say no to contestants, indicating she was uncomfortable with the role.
Simon Cowell; Britney Spears.
Trae Patton/NBC via Getty; Isaac Brekken/Getty for Clear Channel
On the first day of filming, Cowell reassured Spears that she could exit if she truly wanted to. “I got to know her when she came over to my house one time, and we just talked and talked, because I really wanted to get inside her head. Was she happy? Was she unhappy?” he said. “She wasn’t happy. That’s what I took away. It was like two different people.”
When questioned about Spears’ critical views in her memoir, The Woman in Me, Cowell described it as a “shame.” He noted, “I did say to the network, ‘I don’t know if she wants to do it, and if she doesn’t, we’ve got to give her the option of being able to leave.’ No one was forcing her.”
Simon Cowell at the ‘America’s Got Talent’ red carpet in Pasadena in September 2025.
Amanda Edwards/Getty
Cowell pointed out that Spears had mentioned her dislike for pop music, suggesting that she faced challenges in mentoring the contestants. At the time, Spears was under conservatorship and grappling with the aftermath of her divorce from Kevin Federline. She admitted to feeling “very, very nervous” about returning to television and expressed that she no longer felt comfortable in the public eye. In her memoir, she candidly stated, “To act skeptical for eight hours straight while judging people on TV? Uh, no thank you. I absolutely hated it.”
Recently, she celebrated her 44th birthday on December 2, marking the occasion with the release of a paperback version of her memoir. The book has sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S. and topped the New York Times bestseller list for five weeks.
Meanwhile, Cowell is preparing for the release of his six-episode docuseries, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, set to debut on Netflix on December 10.
