It was an interesting ploy when Simon Cowell decided to base his talent show career on being brutally honest with the contestants. After all, most of the people appearing on the show were terrible, as well as seemingly having some kind of borderline personality disorder; he knew it, the audience knew it and the TV viewers knew it. It was a kind of freakshow, but it was fun to watch, and at least we knew it was genuine (-ly disturbing).

So when the show then started to create imaginary issues between contestants, judges and who ever else got close enough, it started to grate.

For example, there's absolutely no way all the stuff that we heard about this year's X Factor contestants could have been true, and nor is it likely it was all created by the media either. Basically, the one thing that Simon had going for him, the fact that the audience trusted his honesty, seems to have now evaporated.

Which is probably why he's moved to the US, and as a final boot in the chops for his loyal UK fans, he's even upped the prize money for X Factor US:

"I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. It's a $5 million recording contract. That means the winner walks away with $5m dollars guaranteed if they win.

 

"Why I'm back is that I believe America has the best talent in the world. I believe that with all my heart, and if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't do the show. I'm not looking for somebody who's just going to be a hit in America; I'm looking to find a global star."

 

"We called the show The X Factor because it was an expression we used a lot, which was you don't have to necessarily have the best voice, you may not be the best-looking person - but you have something which defines you as a star, like Lady Gaga. She's got The X Factor. And you never know until he walks in the room."

 

"Whoever wins this show is going to get complete, total support from me, from Sony Music worldwide, because I don't want somebody who's just going to be a star in America. I want somebody who's going to be a star all over the world,"

 

"That's what you want at the end of this. You want a global super star - and the first person who wins this show I guarantee that will happen. I've just got a feeling.

 

"I'd love to find somebody different. I'd love to find somebody who can become a star all over the world, and I'd love to say we found this person on this show."

 

"You want to give somebody a career. You want to give them a platform and you want the whole world to know about them. That's why I make these shows. You don't want to think small."

Of course that's why you make them. Who would ever think otherwise?