The TV mogul opens up about a moment during his childhood.
Simon Cowell is a celebrity who has established himself as a household name in the UK. With a career that spans multiple avenues, which includes his impact on the music industry as a records executive, entrepreneurial achievements and ultimately becoming one of the most recognizable faces in British television.
That being said, his life wasn't always on an upward trajectory. Particularly speaking about his childhood, Cowell opened up about his behavior which got him into trouble more than a few times.
A musical beginning
Cowell's entry into music came through a job at EMI Music as a mailroom boy. He had quit the job as he found it boring, but was invited back for a different position and this is where he got acquainted with English Record Producer, Pete Waterman, who ultimately became Cowell's mentor.
The official Just Simon Cowell website notes that the TV personality got his first break when he was working with the entrepreneur Ian Burton under Fanfare Records. It was at that time Cowell signed the singer Sinitta and went on to produce several hits in the 80s, which included 'So Macho' and 'Toyboy.'
Rising in the 90s
Cowell's first Number one record came through Robson Green and Jerome Flynn's Unchained Melody, a song that was sung on the show Soldier, Soldier which was a famous television drama series at the time. Cowell put in a lot of effort to sign them in 1994, and the song turned out to be a hit.
Subsequently, their next single 'I Believe' as well as the group's album ended up becoming the best-selling album of 1995. However, Cowell missed the chance to sign Spice Girls that same year, and they were instead signed by Westlife. According to The Huffington Post, this remains Cowell's biggest career regret.
Television success
It was in 2001 when Cowell teamed up with Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe to create Pop Idol, and Cowell joined up with Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman, and Neil Fox on the judging panel. The show ran for two series, and Fuller took the project to the US and it ultimately turned out to be the monolithic hit show, American Idol.
Cowell furthered his television success by establishing X Factor UK, which is what the majority of the people in the world associate him with, and based on viewership it is one of the biggest shows on television.
Troubled childhood
Based on Cowell's own admission, he had a privileged upbringing and he spent his school days in a boarding school in Dover. He was once suspended and eagerly exited the school when he turned sixteen. This presents an idea of how he was during his childhood.
Metro reports that the TV mogul feels that he has a much easier time parenting his son Eric who is eight years old right now, compared to how his parents had to deal with Cowell at that age.
Cowell said:
I was so bad when I was Eric’s age. it was a nightmare. I was drinking and smoking at eight, and I once nearly burned the house down.
Speaking to The Sun, Cowell recollects a time when he set fire to a Santa costume's beard to prove that Father Christmas didn't exist, and nearly ended up burning the house down after dropping the costume on the sofa, which escalated to the room going up in flames.
Additionally, at the age of 12, the TV personality ended up hijacking a bus by using a pea gun, which clearly highlights the rebellious nature he carried at the time.
Speaking on the incident, he said:
I thought it wouldn’t be taken seriously, but the driver called the police and I was arrested. I remember going back home and my mum being furious. But I was so bad, slightly living on the edge.
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