Simon Cowell

During an audition, a female participant told Simon and the other judges that she quit her job at a hair salon so she can pursue her dreams on American Idol: The Search for a Superstar (2002); when getting rejected, Simon had asked for the phone and called the owner of the workplace where the rejected contestant got her job back.
His father, Eric Cowell, was a record company executive with EMI. He died at home in 1999 of a massive heart attack on the very day that Simon got his first Number One with a then-unknown band called Westlife who his dad had predicted would become big.
Was once a waiter in Elton John's restaurant in London.
Says that the first time he gave a criticism was at age four when he looked at his mother's white fuzzy pillbox hat and remarked "Mum, you look like a poodle" [Source: His book "I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But..."]
Susan Boyle's star-making audition was one of Cowell's favourite moments on Britain's Got Talent (2009).

I'd accept an honour but I don't think I'm likely to get one. The Queen once described me as a dreadful man.
[to a Pop Idol (2001) contestant] Let me throw a mathematical dilemma at you - there's 500 left, well how come the odds of you winning are a million to one?
[Asked if he feels guilty about what he says to American Idol: The Search for a Superstar (2002) contestants] No, what I am doing is kind by telling people who are useless, "Do something that you're good at". So I would only feel guilt if I misled somebody who was terrible.
We've done three seasons of [American Idol: The Search for a Superstar (2002)] and by now it is safe to assume that most people know that you have to be able to sing. But people turn up who can't sing a note and yet they believe they are the Second Coming.
Sit in these auditions for three weeks and hear "I Believe I Can Fly" out of tune for the millionth time, YOU try and be nice.