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 and businessman, recognized for his role as a judge on various talent competition shows, including Pop Idol, The X Factor (UK & US), Britain's Got Talent, and America's Got Talent. Beyond his on-screen presence, Cowell founded Syco Entertainment in 2005, solidifying his influence in the entertainment industry, and Syco Music in 2002.
1956: Origins of Got Talent Format
In 1956, the British talent show Opportunity Knocks, which showcased various performers and utilized telephone voting, premiered, influencing the Got Talent format.
1980: Runner on 'The Shining'
In 1980, Simon Cowell worked as a runner on Stanley Kubrick's horror film, 'The Shining'.
1986: "So Macho" Hit Song
In 1986, Simon Cowell had his first hit song, "So Macho" by Sinitta.
1995: "Unchained Melody" 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: Pop Idol Pitch
In February 2001, Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller pitched the idea for Pop Idol, which changed Saturday night entertainment.
2001: Judge on Pop Idol
In 2001, Simon Cowell became a judge on Pop Idol, a show he successfully pitched with Simon Fuller.
2001: Public Prominence with Pop Idol
In 2001, Simon Cowell rose to public prominence as a judge on Pop Idol, a television show he pitched with Simon Fuller.
2002: Judge on American Idol
In 2002, Simon Cowell became a judge on the first season of American Idol and signed Will Young and Gareth Gates to his label.
2002: Syco Music Founding & American Idol Judging
In 2002, Simon Cowell founded Syco Music and judged on American Idol.
November 2003: Appearance on Children in Need
In November 2003, Simon Cowell appeared on the BBC's Children in Need telethon, where viewers pledged money to see him get sawn in half.
2003: Appearance on World Idol
In 2003, Simon Cowell appeared on the one-off World Idol program.
2003: Pop Idol Judging
In 2003, Simon Cowell continued judging on Pop Idol.
2004: Creation of The X Factor
In 2004, Simon Cowell created The X Factor.
2004: The X Factor UK Judging
In 2004, Simon Cowell judged on The X Factor UK.
2005: Launch of Australian The X Factor
In 2005, Australian The X Factor launched on Network Ten but was canceled after one season.
2005: Formation of Syco
In 2005, Simon Cowell formed a new company, Syco, divided into Syco Music, Syco TV, and Syco Film.
2005: Syco Entertainment Founding
In 2005, Simon Cowell founded Syco Entertainment.
March 2006: Debut of American Inventor
On March 16, 2006, American Inventor, co-produced by Simon Cowell, premiered on ABC, featuring entrepreneurs competing to develop the best new product concept.
June 2006: Debut of America's Got Talent
In June 2006, America's Got Talent, with Simon Cowell as executive producer, debuted on NBC, achieving significant success with around 12 million viewers per week.
November 2006: Angelis Debut Album
In November 2006, Angelis, a child version of Il Divo created by Simon Cowell, released their debut album.
2006: Executive Producer of Celebrity Duets
In 2006, Simon Cowell executive-produced Celebrity Duets, a show described as "an Idol show for Hollywood superstars."
2006: Winning Mentor on The X Factor
In 2006, during series 3 of The X Factor, Simon Cowell mentored both Leona Lewis and Ray Quinn to the final, marking the first time he was the winning mentor.
June 2007: Debut of Britain's Got Talent
In June 2007, Britain's Got Talent premiered on ITV with Simon Cowell as a judge alongside Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, achieving high ratings.
July 2007: Speaker at the Concert for Diana
On July 1, 2007, Simon Cowell appeared as a speaker at the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium in London, to celebrate Princess Diana's life.
August 2007: Return to The X Factor UK
On August 18, 2007, Simon Cowell returned for a fourth series on The X Factor UK alongside Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh, and Dannii Minogue.
2007: Second Season of American Inventor
In 2007, American Inventor returned for its second season.
2007: Britain's Got Talent Judging
In 2007, Simon Cowell judged on Britain's Got Talent.
2007: Executive Producer of Grease Is the Word
In 2007, Simon Cowell was the executive producer of Grease Is the Word for ITV, a show aimed at casting performers for the West End revival of Grease.
2008: Producer of Rock Rivals
In 2008, Simon Cowell collaborated with Shed Media to produce Rock Rivals, an ITV drama series based on an X Factor-type show.
2008: The X Factor UK Judging
In 2008, Simon Cowell returned for the fifth series of The X Factor UK with Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue, and Cheryl Cole.
2008: Second Season of Britain's Got Talent
In 2008, the second season of Britain's Got Talent aired, continuing the show's success.
2009: Patron of Children's Hospices UK
In 2009, Simon Cowell became a patron of Children's Hospices UK, a role he held until 2011 when it merged to become Together for Short Lives.
2009: Third Season of Britain's Got Talent
In 2009, the third series of Britain's Got Talent aired, featuring Susan Boyle's impactful audition.
January 2010: Exit from American Idol
In January 2010, Simon Cowell's exit from American Idol was made official.
October 2010: New Deals with ITV
In October 2010, Simon Cowell signed new three-year deals with ITV for both Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, retaining them until 2013.
2010: Return of Australian The X Factor
In 2010, Australian The X Factor returned on the Seven Network.
2010: The X Factor UK and American Idol Judging
In 2010, Simon Cowell judged on The X Factor UK and American Idol.
2010: Charity Single and Knighthood Speculation
In 2010, Simon Cowell produced the charity single "Everybody Hurts" for Haiti earthquake victims, leading to speculation about a potential knighthood.
April 2011: Backstage Presence on The X Factor UK
In April 2011, it was reported that Simon Cowell would remain a major presence backstage on the UK version of The X Factor but would not be a judge.
September 2011: Launch of American The X Factor
In September 2011, Simon Cowell launched American The X Factor on Fox.
2011: Launch of The X Factor USA
In 2011, FOX launched The X Factor USA, an American version of the British show.
2011: Creator of Red or Black?
In 2011, Simon Cowell created his first game show, titled Red or Black?, which was hosted by Ant & Dec for ITV. Series 1 was broadcast from September 3 to 10.
2011: The X Factor US Judging
In 2011, Simon Cowell judged on The X Factor US.
2011: Departure from The X Factor UK
In 2011, Simon Cowell left The X Factor UK to launch The X Factor in America.
2011: First Winning Judge of The X Factor
In 2011, Simon Cowell's contestant, Melanie Amaro came first, making him the winning judge.
2011: End of Patronage of Children's Hospices UK
In 2011, Simon Cowell's patronage of Children's Hospices UK ended due to its merger with Together for Short Lives.
2012: Second Series of Red or Black?
In 2012, ITV recommissioned Red or Black? for a second series, which aired weekly.
2012: The New Elizabethans Feature
In 2012, Simon Cowell was featured in the BBC Radio 4 series The New Elizabethans, marking the diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. He was recognized for his significant impact on lives in the UK during Elizabeth II's reign.
September 2013: Return for The X Factor Season 3
In September 2013, Simon Cowell returned for a third season of The X Factor alongside Demi Lovato.
October 2013: Participation in Fundraiser for Israeli Defense Forces
In October 2013, Simon Cowell participated in a fundraising event in Los Angeles to support the Israeli Defense Forces, where he made a personal donation of $150,000.
October 2013: Possible Return to The X Factor UK
In October 2013, reports surfaced suggesting Simon Cowell might return to the UK version of The X Factor for series 11, potentially replacing Gary Barlow.
November 2013: Extension of ITV Deal
On 15 November 2013, Simon Cowell's three-year deal with ITV was extended by another three years, keeping Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor on air until 2016.
2013: The X Factor US Judging
In 2013, Simon Cowell judged on The X Factor US.
2013: Launch of The You Generation and Executive Producer for Food Glorious Food
In 2013, Simon Cowell partnered with YouTube to launch The You Generation and served as executive producer for ITV cookery series Food Glorious Food.
2013: The X Factor's Tenth Series
In 2013, The X Factor enjoyed its tenth series.
February 2014: Confirmed Return to The X Factor UK
On February 7, 2014, Simon Cowell's return to The X Factor UK was officially confirmed, leading to the cancellation of the US version after three seasons. He joined judges Louis Walsh, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, and Mel B.
2014: The X Factor UK Judging
In 2014, Simon Cowell continued judging on The X Factor UK.
September 2015: Launch of La Banda
In September 2015, Simon Cowell launched La Banda, his first US show since American The X Factor, on Univision. The show aimed to create the "ultimate Latino Boy Band." The winning band, CNCO, was signed to Syco Music.
October 2015: Cowell Replaces Howard Stern on America's Got Talent
On October 22, 2015, Simon Cowell was announced as the replacement for Howard Stern on America's Got Talent.
2015: Return to The X Factor for Twelfth Series
In 2015, Simon Cowell returned to The X Factor for its twelfth series, accompanied by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and newcomers Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw.
2016: Executive Producer for Keep it in the Family
In 2016, Simon Cowell served as executive producer for the ITV game show Keep it in the Family, which was presented by Bradley Walsh.
2016: End of ITV Deal Extension
In 2016, the extended three-year deal between Simon Cowell and ITV for Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor concluded.
June 2017: Arrangement of Charity Single for Grenfell Tower Victims
In June 2017, Simon Cowell arranged the recording and release of the charity single "Bridge over Troubled Water" to raise money for the families of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London and for The London Community Foundation.
2018: The X Factor UK Judging
In 2018, Simon Cowell judged on The X Factor UK.
2018: Creation of The Greatest Dancer
In 2018, it was announced that Simon Cowell created his first show to air on the BBC, titled The Greatest Dancer, which was scheduled to debut on January 5, 2019.
January 2019: Debut of The Greatest Dancer
On January 5, 2019, The Greatest Dancer debuted on the BBC, with dancers competing for a cash prize and a performance on Strictly Come Dancing.
December 2019: Five-Year Deal with ITV for Britain's Got Talent
In December 2019, Simon Cowell signed a five-year deal with ITV, ensuring Britain's Got Talent would remain on the channel until 2024.
April 2020: Judging Canadian Family's Got Talent
In April 2020, Simon Cowell judged a spin-off of Canada's Got Talent called Canadian Family's Got Talent, conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
July 2020: Cowell Buys Out Sony Music from Syco Entertainment
On July 15, 2020, Simon Cowell bought out Sony Music from their joint venture, Syco Entertainment.
December 2020: Cowell to Judge The X Factor Israel
In December 2020, it was announced that Simon Cowell would be a judge on The X Factor Israel in 2021.
2020: Second Series of The Greatest Dancer
In 2020, a second series of The Greatest Dancer was scheduled to air.
May 2021: Cancellation of Appearance on The X Factor Israel
In late May 2021, Simon Cowell announced his decision to cancel his appearance on The X Factor Israel, in light of the Israeli aggression against Gaza.
2023: Planned Launch of Wishfits Book Series
In 2020, Simon Cowell announced a seven-book series titled "Wishfits" with his son, scheduled to launch in 2023.
2024: Britain's Got Talent stays on ITV until 2024
In December 2019, Simon Cowell signed a five-year deal with ITV, ensuring Britain's Got Talent will stay on the channel until 2024.
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