Simon Cowell Recalls America’s Got Talent Was Essentially ‘Dead’ On Arrival And How One Keen Lie Saved The Show

DGIX

May 30, 2025

America’s Got Talent has been going strong on NBC since 2006, and the competition is set to be a summer staple yet again in the 2025 TV schedule. Season 20 got off to an eventful start, with former judge Mel B coming back, a pair of golden buzzers, and enough incredible performances to make up for the man whose talent was chugging pickle juice, creamed corn, and more. Judge Simon Cowell, who also created AGT, reflected on the very humble beginnings of the show, and it turns out that fans have a little white lie to thank for twenty seasons of action.

Cowell spoke with People about how America’s Got Talent got that series order in the first place all those years ago, and he ‘fessed up to a fib that paid off in a big way. He shared:

It was a very difficult show to sell actually, to be honest with you. Because we made a pilot and the pilot was dreadful, I mean really, really bad. So, it was dead.

Who else really, really, really wants to see the original pilot for America’s Got Talent now?! I imagine that it would be hard to produce a truly great pilot for a show that needs a full season to pay off on the biggest and best performances. Apparently, the first try at AGT was a flop compared to what the show would become.

Simon Cowell went on to share that there were only “seven minutes of this pilot” that were “just about watchable,” and that was enough for him with the right amount of spin when NBC called. The former American Idol judge recalled:

They called me and they said, ‘What’s this new show like?’ And I went, ‘Oh, it’s brilliant.’ And they said, ‘Can we have a look at it?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, come over to the house.’ They came over and I just showed two minutes or three minutes of this show. And they loved it. They bought it. And that was it. If they hadn’t made that call or come to my house that day, we wouldn’t having this conversation today because the show, honestly, it was over.

If ever there was a time to publicly come clean about the little lie about AGT, I’d say it would be while celebrating the milestone 20th season! Simon Cowell has certainly gotten candid before, and even faced a serious health issue in the public eye. (That crisis wouldn’t be mocked by Howie Mandel on AGT until later.) Now is certainly a time to look back on all of AGT‘s wins over the year.

Those wins haven’t been restricted to the original show earning renewal after renewal. Several spinoffs have already been produced for NBC alone, including AGT: The Champions, AGT: Extreme, AGT: All-Stars, and AGT: Fantasy League. That’s not to mention the international spinoffs, including Britain’s Got Talent and Australia’s Got Talent.

For now, fans can tune in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for America’s Got Talent Season 20, or stream new episodes next day with a Peacock subscription. Terry Crews returned as host, and the latest slate of judges includes Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B alongside Simon Cowell. The judges don’t know much about the performers before they take the stage, so their reactions are evidently as genuine as the rest of the audience.

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