Simon Cowell puts ego aside in confession about 'American Idol'

Simon Cowell is apologizing for his "appalling" treatment of American Idol contestants.

Simon became a household name due to his insulting remarks towards auditioning contestants.

In an interview with The New York Times, Cowell admitted that he’s sorry he made derogatory remarks at the contestants when the show began in 2002. But he realized he had crossed a line and toned it down in the future seasons.

"When I used to do auditions, someone would come in and they can’t sing, we would say after 10 seconds, ‘You can’t sing,’ not, ‘You’re going to be brilliant,’ and everything else," he said.

"So I was frustrated at the beginning, because I thought, if we don’t find someone good at the end of these shows, they’re not going to get recommissioned," he shared.

Lulu Garcia-Navarro, host of The New York Times show The Interview, then referred to the video compilations of his insults.

"Do we have to go through this?" Cowell, previously admitted that his behaviour was appalling, winced. "I’ve got to be honest with you. That’s why I did change over time. I mean, I did realize I’ve probably gone too far."

Cowell noted that the editing of the show also doubled down on his bad moments to gain views.

"I didn’t particularly like, I still don’t like, audition days because they’re long and boring. I would get fed up. And of course, you know, out of 100 nice comments, what are they going to use? They’re always going to use. You know, me being in a bad mood. I got that," he said.

"What can I say? I’m sorry," Cowell added.

Explaining what he is sorry for, he said, "Just being a dick … I’m not proud of it. Let’s put it that way. I never look at this stuff online or anything. You know, I’m not someone who particularly wants to see myself on camera."

However, Simon Cowell noted that the "upside" of the compilations is that "it made the shows really popular worldwide."