Pop superstar Beyoncé is definitely no stranger to receiving praise but the singer has also endured her fair share of criticism and few were more notable than that of “The X Factor” creator and judge Simon Cowell, who threw the singer a few barbs about her talent. But after setting the record straight on a misreported jab at the pop star, Cowell recently described how a past run-in with Beyoncé put his critique of her to shame.
The tension between Beyoncé and Cowell first began in 2005, when the then-“American Idol” judge told Esquire that, “I find the whole Beyoncé thing really mystifying. She’s not sexy, she hasn’t got a great body and she’s not a great singer.”
According to NecoleBitchie, while speaking with “Extra” TV host AJ Calloway earlier this week, Cowell explained that after his remarks went public, he later had an awkward encounter with Beyoncé and before the singer finally made him eat his words when she wowed him with a performance on the U.K. version of “The X Factor” and gave the bristly celebrity a “criticize that” look from onstage.
“Yeah. I once criticized her, then met her afterwards. Boy, oh boy that was a difficult meeting,” said Cowell. “Then she came on my show about a year later in the U.K. and it was still obviously in her head what I said and I apologized, I was wrong. She sang better than anyone I’ve ever heard in my whole life. Then at one point, she looked over to me and went ‘criticize that …’ Her eyes. I’ll never forget the look.”
Cowell then praised Beyoncé, referring to her as the leader of a new breed of “super pop stars.”
“[I would describe Beyoncé as] ambitious, talented, competitive,” said Cowell. “She defines this new breed of I’ve called super pop stars and they’re all girls at the moment. It’s like a new super species who literally want to rule the world. I remember when she came out with that song there was no irony… she wants to rule the world.” –nicholas robinson
