"And, really, who deserves one of these more than Simon Cowell? Because here is a man who, as the face of The X Factor and Pop Idol, spent the first part of the 21st century at the top of the entertainment tree. He could make and break careers with a flick of his wrist. Discounting sport, royalty, Covid and (weirdly) Gavin & Stacey, the 2010 X Factor finale remains the most watched British TV show of the last 15 years."
"In his prime, Cowell was wealthy. He was powerful. He was everywhere. But then he disappeared. Much hyped projects such as the bigger than Disney entertainment megabrand with Philip Green and the series of children's books he announced five years ago came to nothing. He broke his back. His appearance changed. There were whispers that he had become a devotee to a wealth of wacky-sounding health fads. Had he settled into semi-retirement?"
Simon Cowell: The Next Act is presented as a quasi-unvarnished, authorised documentary yet operates as a publicity-focused talent-show revival. Simon Cowell dominated early 21st-century entertainment as the face of The X Factor and Pop Idol and could make or break careers while achieving massive viewing figures. After high-profile failed projects, a serious back injury, changes in appearance and rumours about his lifestyle, Cowell receded from public view. The Netflix series reframes that absence as a comeback narrative but reverts to familiar X Factor mechanics and prioritises sanitized spectacle over deep personal revelation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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