Simon Cowell is back to being ‘Mr Nasty’ for new series of X Factor as he returns to withering put-downs and scathing criticism of contestants
SIMON Cowell has returned to his fabled role as Mr Nasty on The X Factor after blasting a crop of new contestants with a torrent of icy put-downs.
The TV judge was previously thought to have mellowed due to fatherhood, with Amanda Holden, and some of the singing show's contestants, saying he's "changed".
But the silver-tongued Cowell of old was back with a vengeance at the weekend during filming of The X Factor Bootcamp.
He slammed one act's "stupid choreography", told a five-piece band to drop two of its members and relentlessly mocked the singing of the weaker hopefuls.
Perhaps the most stinging put-downs he reeled out was: "We're in danger of losing the entire audience if you sing again."
Another Si zinger came as he sent one warbler home, when he commented on their performance: "It was like eating water, goodbye."
A third auditionee was firmly told: "You've let yourself down.
"It looks like you don't care and you didn't come here to win."
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The acts clearly weren't expecting to be cut down to Si-zeso brutally, after charitable Cowell recently organised the Grenfell Tower single and donated a six-figure sum to a children's charity.
But it seems the days of people reserving their boos for Nicole Scherzinger are long gone.
She, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh might have to dial up the nice factor when they return with Cowell for the 2017 series of the programme when it kicks off in September.
But there's a chance that even Simon might get out-snarked by someone on the set of The X Factor this year after his three-year-old son Eric trashed Nicole's singing.
After the former Pussycat Girl performed for him, he snapped: "You’re not good enough.”
The legacy of The X Factor is in safe hands.
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