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Simon Cowell talks about Susan Boyle, praises YouTube

By April MacIntyre Apr 26, 2009, 2:19 GMT

Susan Boyled-out: Simon Cowell - When Cowel was asked by the same reporter if he would sign Susan Boyle, he was more calculated in his answer. © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

The subject of Scottish chanteuse Susan Boyle dominated the questions peppered at Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell at yesterday's NBC press day, where the Summer fare for television was previewed to journalists in Pasadena.

Morgan and Cowell both famously made grimaces as Susan Boyle awkwardly strutted  her stuff onstage and attempted to trade wits with both men. She wound up flooring them, the audience and the world with her unexpected vocal clarity and good cheer.

During the panel discussion for "America's Got Talent," the spun-off Yank version of "Britain's Got Talent," the judges were joined by producer Simon Cowell (who does not sit as judge for this show) along with newcomer judge Nick Cannon, and the subject of Susan Boyle, once again, reared its head.

When Simon was asked what he thought Susan's appeal was, and if he was jealous that she said she was saving herself for Piers, his face contorted into a million eye-rolling facial contortions.

"Good question," Piers Morgan quickly interjected.

Normally hyper kinetic David Hasselhoff, who was subdued for the panel, added, "Are you jealous?" to Cowell.

"Jealous about what?" Cowell deadpanned.

That she was going to save herself to be kissed by him? The reporter asked.

"Yeah, she said she preferred me," prodded Piers Morgan.

"Yes, it's kept me awake at night, that one.  Listen, what's great about Susan is that it's the story of the underdog, isn't it?  I mean, regardless of whether the guys like this guy who I haven't seen or not, I wouldn't have sat here five weeks ago and said the person to watch out for is Susan Boyle.  She was just one of a group of very good auditions." 

Cowell continued. "But when the story plays out, it either works or it doesn't.  And it's why we came up with this show in the first place, which was to come up with one show where there were no rules, to say that whatever you do, you can audition.  You can do whatever you want.  You can be whatever age you are.
 And, we were all guilty on the panel of judging her before she sang and got it completely and utterly wrong.  And you watch it back, and it's embarrassing.  But, it was a good thing.

"It's one of the reasons why she's so successful.  I think with regards to this show, I am seriously thinking now that we should hold maybe two more -- NBC don't even know this yet -- two more open auditions off the back of Susan Boyle since the awareness is that much higher, to say -- by the way, as Piers said, you don't have to be a singer who's 47 who's never been kissed, with a cat, just somebody who says, 'You know what?  I think I could win a competition, and I think I am talented, and I don't think people are going to judge me because of the way I look.'

So I think it's a positive thing for all of us."

When Cowel was asked by the same reporter if he would sign Susan Boyle, he was more calculated in his answer.

"Well, I've got an option to sign her, but I keep saying to everybody that first of all,
she's got to win the next stage.  I mean, the problem is with all the sort of the sub-stories about the cat, way she looks, I'm not interested in this anymore.
And all the kind of the gimmicks.  It's her.  She has got four weeks to prepare for the biggest night of her life, which is she's got to sing better than she sang before with all that expectation on her.  And then if she gets through to the semifinals, she may get through to the final, and then she may win the show. But it could all go horribly wrong now because there's so many other distractions.  And this is -- for her, it's about her singing career.

Simon was quick to praise the mode of viral communication that catapulted Susan Boyle to superstardom.

"Well, the good thing about YouTube is it's a great market research as to whether what you're doing is good or not.  I mean, whether we make it available or not, it always ends up there.  And it's fantastic.  I mean, I think it's the best thing that's  ever happened to us in the world, the fact that six years ago or five years ago, we would not be sitting here today talking about a 47-year-old Scottish singer called Susan Boyle on a show called 'Britain's Got Talent.'  What YouTube has done has literally brought the whole world together.  So I think it's genius, even though we're not making much money at the moment. But it's still fantastic.  I mean, I love it."