'Britain’s Got Talent' judge recalls 'disgusting' treatment of Scottish church volunteer

• Simon Cowell labels his reaction to Susan Boyle’s debut as a significant "wakeup call"
• Judge admits entire panel looked "disgusting" for judging the singer by her cover
• Cowell reveals he apologised after realising the impact of the televised sniggering
  

Simon Cowell has issued a candid reflection on one of the most famous moments in television history, admitting his treatment of Susan Boyle was "awful."

The Scottish church volunteer’s 2009 audition for Britain’s Got Talent remains a global phenomenon, but Cowell revealed on Wednesday that the event served as a profound "wakeup call" regarding his professional conduct.

Speaking on the podcast Tales from the Celebrity Trenches, the music mogul confessed that the judging panel—including himself, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan—reacted poorly to Boyle’s initial stage appearance.

The 66-year-old creator recalled how the panel sniggered when Boyle expressed her desire to be as successful as Elaine Paige, before she stunned the world with her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream."

"But actually, I remember saying, I don't think we look bad enough. I think we were even worse than that," Cowell told the host.

He described the looks shared between the judges as "disgusting" and admitted, "we're just horrible." Cowell noted that while he had the power to edit the footage, he chose to keep it as a lesson that "you can't judge a book by its cover."

In a moment of uncharacteristic humility, Cowell explained that the backlash was immediate and deserved. "A lot of people are going to realise in about 24 hours that we're just horrible. And so, we're going to say sorry. And that's what we did," he revealed.

Following her debut, Boyle went on to sell millions of records globally. Cowell is currently preparing for the next season of the hit show while continuing to manage his extensive Syco entertainment portfolio.