Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Simon Cowell
Discover the career path of Simon Cowell, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Simon Cowell is a prominent English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive. He gained fame as a judge on popular talent competition shows like Pop Idol, The X Factor UK, Britain's Got Talent, American Idol, The X Factor US, and America's Got Talent. Cowell is also the founder of the entertainment company Syco, demonstrating his business acumen within the music and television industries.
1956: Opportunity Knocks On Screen
In 1956, the British talent show 'Opportunity Knocks' began airing, popularizing the use of telephone voting for selecting the winner. This show, with weekly audiences of 20 million, showcased a variety of performers, including singers, dancers, comedians, and novelty acts, which Cowell cited as an inspiration for 'Got Talent'.
1980: Runner on "The Shining"
In 1980, Simon Cowell briefly worked as a runner on Stanley Kubrick's horror film, "The Shining."
1983: Quit E&S Music
In 1983, Simon Cowell quit E&S Music, a company he formed with his former boss at EMI.
1986: First Hit Song
In 1986, Simon Cowell had his first hit song with "So Macho" by Sinitta.
1989: Fanfare Records Implosion
In 1989, Fanfare Records went under, leading to Pete Waterman freezing the company's assets and Simon Cowell nearly becoming bankrupt.
1995: Robson & Jerome Success
In 1995, Simon Cowell persuaded Robson Green and Jerome Flynn to record "Unchained Melody", which became the best-selling single of the year.
February 2001: Pitch for Pop Idol
On Tuesday 13 February 2001, Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller pitched their idea for Pop Idol to Alan Boyd.
2001: Pop Idol Judge
In 2001, Simon Cowell became a judge on Pop Idol, a British television talent competition.
2001: Judge on Pop Idol
In 2001, Simon Cowell became a judge on the first series of Pop Idol.
2001: Public Prominence on Pop Idol
In 2001, Simon Cowell gained public prominence as a judge on Pop Idol.
2002: American Idol Judge
In 2002, Simon Cowell became a judge on the first season of American Idol.
2002: S Records
In 2002, Simon Cowell founded Syco Music, also known as S Records.
November 2003: Children in Need Appearance
In November 2003, Cowell appeared on the BBC's charity telethon 'Children in Need', where viewers pledged money to see him get sawn in half.
2003: World Idol Appearance
In 2003, Simon Cowell appeared on the one-off World Idol programme.
2004: Creation of The X Factor
In 2004, Simon Cowell created The X Factor.
2004: The X Factor UK
In 2004, Simon Cowell started judging The X Factor UK.
2005: Syco Formation
In 2005, Simon Cowell formed a new company, Syco, divided into Syco Music, Syco TV, and Syco Film.
2005: Australian X Factor Launch
In 2005, The X Factor launched in Australia on Network Ten but was cancelled after one season.
March 2006: American Inventor Debuts on ABC
In March 2006, 'American Inventor', co-produced by Cowell and Peter Jones, premiered on ABC. The show featured entrepreneurs competing to create the best new product concept.
June 2006: America's Got Talent Debut
In June 2006, 'America's Got Talent,' executive produced by Cowell, premiered on NBC. The show garnered around 12 million viewers per week, becoming a major success.
November 2006: Angelis Debut Album
In November 2006, Angelis, a child version of Il Divo created by Simon Cowell, released their debut album.
2006: Celebrity Duets Executive Production
In 2006, Cowell executive-produced 'Celebrity Duets', a show described as "an Idol show for Hollywood superstars", featuring Wayne Brady as the host and Marie Osmond, Little Richard, and David Foster as judges.
2006: Creation of Got Talent
In 2006, Simon Cowell created Got Talent, which later became a successful television franchise.
2006: Last Win Until 2014
In 2006, Simon Cowell had Leona Lewis and Ray Quinn in the final.
June 2007: Britain's Got Talent Debut
In June 2007, 'Britain's Got Talent' premiered on ITV, with Cowell as a judge alongside Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. The show quickly became a ratings success.
July 2007: Concert for Diana Appearance
On July 1, 2007, Cowell spoke at the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium, London, to celebrate Princess Diana's life.
August 2007: The X Factor Return
On 18 August 2007, Simon Cowell returned for the fourth series of The X Factor alongside Osbourne, Walsh, and Dannii Minogue.
2007: American Inventor Second Season
In 2007, 'American Inventor' returned for a second season, continuing the competition for the best new product concept.
2007: Grease Is the Word Airs on ITV
In 2007, Cowell executive produced 'Grease Is the Word' for ITV, aiming to cast the leads in a West End revival. The show didn't achieve the hoped-for success.
2007: Britain's Got Talent
In 2007, Simon Cowell started judging Britain's Got Talent.
2008: Britain's Got Talent Second Season
In 2008, 'Britain's Got Talent' aired its second season, following the success of the first.
2008: Rock Rivals ITV Drama Series Production
In 2008, Cowell collaborated with Shed Media to produce 'Rock Rivals', an ITV drama series based on an 'X Factor' type show.
2008: The X Factor Return
In 2008, Simon Cowell returned for the fifth series of The X Factor with Walsh, Minogue, and Cheryl Cole.
2009: Britain's Got Talent Third Season
In 2009, 'Britain's Got Talent' aired its third season, featuring Susan Boyle's globally impactful audition.
2009: Patron of Children's Hospices UK
In 2009, Cowell became a patron of Children's Hospices UK.
January 2010: Cowell's Exit from American Idol
On 11 January 2010, Simon Cowell's exit from American Idol was made official.
October 2010: New ITV Deal
In October 2010, Simon Cowell signed a new three-year deal with ITV for Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, retaining them until 2013.
2010: Haiti Earthquake Charity Single
In 2010, Cowell produced the charity single "Everybody Hurts" to aid victims of the Haiti earthquake, leading to speculation about a potential knighthood.
2010: Australian X Factor Return
In 2010, The X Factor returned in Australia on the Seven Network.
2010: The X Factor UK End
Simon Cowell was a judge on The X Factor UK from 2004 to 2010.
April 2011: Cowell's Focus on US X Factor
In April 2011, it was reported that Simon Cowell would no longer be a judge on the UK version of The X Factor but would remain a major presence backstage, focusing on the American version.
September 2011: American X Factor Launch
In September 2011, Simon Cowell launched The X Factor on Fox in America.
2011: One Direction Signed
After placing third in the seventh series of The X Factor in 2011, One Direction signed to Simon Cowell's label.
2011: The X Factor US
From 2011 to 2013, Simon Cowell was a judge on The X Factor US.
2011: Red or Black? Game Show Creation
In 2011, Cowell created his first game show, 'Red or Black?', for ITV, hosted by Ant & Dec. Series 1 was broadcast from 3 to 10 September.
2011: End of Patronage of Children's Hospices UK
In 2011, Cowell's patronage of Children's Hospices UK ended when the organization merged to become Together for Short Lives.
2011: First Win as a Mentor
In 2011, Simon Cowell's act Melanie Amaro won the season, making Cowell the winning judge.
2012: Red or Black? Second Series Airs
In 2012, 'Red or Black?' was recommissioned by ITV for a second series, which aired weekly.
September 2013: Third Season of The X Factor
In September 2013, Simon Cowell returned for a third season of The X Factor alongside Demi Lovato.
October 2013: Fundraising Event for Israeli Defense Forces
In October 2013, Cowell participated in a fundraising event in Los Angeles supporting the Israeli Defense Forces, donating $150,000.
October 2013: Potential Return to UK X Factor
In October 2013, it was reported that Simon Cowell might return to the UK version of The X Factor for series 11.
November 2013: ITV Deal Extended
On 15 November 2013, Simon Cowell's three-year deal with ITV was extended by another three years, keeping it on air until 2016.
2013: The You Generation Launch
In 2013, Cowell partnered with YouTube to launch 'The You Generation', a video-sharing competition. He also executive produced the ITV cookery series 'Food Glorious Food'.
2013: The X Factor's Tenth Series
In 2013, The X Factor UK enjoyed its tenth series.
February 2014: Return to UK X Factor Confirmed
On 7 February 2014, Simon Cowell's return to the UK version of The X Factor was officially confirmed.
2014: Got Talent - World's Most Successful Reality TV Format
In 2014, 'Got Talent' was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's most successful reality TV format, with spin-offs in over 68 countries.
2014: The X Factor UK Return
In 2014, Simon Cowell returned to judging The X Factor UK and remained until 2018.
September 2015: La Banda US Launch
In September 2015, Cowell launched 'La Banda', his first US show since 'The X Factor', on Univision. The show aimed to discover male singers to form a Latino boy band.
October 2015: Cowell Replaces Howard Stern on America's Got Talent
In October 2015, Cowell was announced as the replacement for Howard Stern as a judge on 'America's Got Talent'.
2015: Return to X Factor
In 2015, Simon Cowell returned to the X Factor for its twelfth series, along with veteran judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and newcomers Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw.
2016: Keep It in the Family Game Show Production
In 2016, Cowell served as executive producer for the ITV game show 'Keep it in the Family', presented by Bradley Walsh.
2016: America's Got Talent
In 2016, Simon Cowell started judging America's Got Talent.
2016: End of ITV Deal
Simon Cowell's deal with ITV, signed in 2010 and extended in 2013, kept Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor on air until 2016.
January 2017: Australian X Factor Axed
In January 2017, The X Factor in Australia was axed for a second time.
June 2017: Grenfell Tower Fire Charity Single
In June 2017, Cowell arranged the recording and release of the charity single "Bridge over Troubled Water" to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
2018: The Greatest Dancer Creation
In 2018, it was announced that Cowell created his first show to air on the BBC, titled 'The Greatest Dancer',
2018: The X Factor UK End (Again)
Simon Cowell judged The X Factor UK from 2014 to 2018.
January 2019: The Greatest Dancer Debuts
In January 2019, Cowell's show 'The Greatest Dancer' debuted on BBC, with dancers competing for a prize and a performance on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
December 2019: Five-Year Deal with ITV
In December 2019, Cowell signed a five-year deal with ITV, ensuring 'Britain's Got Talent' would remain on the channel until 2024.
April 2020: Canadian Family's Got Talent Judging
In April 2020, Cowell judged 'Canadian Family's Got Talent', a spin-off of 'Canada's Got Talent', which was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2020: Cowell Buys Out Sony Music From Syco Entertainment
On July 15, 2020, Cowell bought out Sony Music from their joint venture, Syco Entertainment, gaining full control of the company.
December 2020: Judging X Factor Israel
In December 2020, it was announced that Simon Cowell would be a judge on The X Factor Israel in 2021.
2020: The Greatest Dancer, Second Series Airs
In 2020, the second series of The Greatest Dancer is scheduled to air.
May 2021: Cancellation of Appearance on X Factor Israel
In late May 2021, Simon Cowell announced he would be cancelling his appearance on The X Factor Israel.
