Ant and Dec’s Idol Audition Fools Simon Cowell

Pop Idol presenters Ant and Dec got one over on Pop Idol’s ‘Mr Nasty’ Simon Cowell - by auditioning for the US version of the show, ‘American Idol’, in disguise. They performed a cringe making rendition of Paula Abdul’s ‘Opposites Attract’, then launched into a dance routine so bad that Simon finally started to smell a rat. Ant said, “Simon said afterwards he’d thought ‘hey, this guy looks a bit like Ant’, but never thought it would be us - until we started dancing like loons and then I think he sussed it.”

Ryan Seacrest And Simon Cowell Race Jet Skis

January 8, 2003 - Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell had a race on their jet skis in the Caribbean. Ryan plays Simon’s sidekick on American Idol. Simon lost the race to Ryan by some length, with some spectators speculating the loss was due to his increasing waist line.

‘American Idol’ Auditions: Uncensored!

January 8, 2003 - Tonight on Entertainment Tonight, special correspondent and American Idol judge Paula Abdul has your first look at which of the 16- to 24-year-olds got the green-light to go to Hollywood for the final cut — and which others crashed and burned. Amongst the quotes offered to contestants by Simon Cowell: “That was excruciating. I think all the preparation in the world wouldn’t really help you because you have a terrible voice.”