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Simon Cowell Makes ‘America’s Got Talent’ Better, Says Host Nick Cannon

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 05:47 PST, Jun 9, 2016

Simon Cowell has returned to judging in America since the birth of his baby boy, Eric. Cowell has replaced Howard Stern at America’s Got Talent panel. According to host Nick Cannon, Cowell’s presence is for the better, as the host insists that Cowell makes the show better.

It’s not a huge surprise to think that America’s Got Talent needed Simon Cowell to spruce things up. Cowell has been involved in the music industry for decades, and changed the face of competitions, when he was a judge on American Idol for eight years.

Of the experience, Cannon said the following.

“I honestly have to say, this is one of the most fun and talent-filled seasons we’ve had,” host Nick Cannon tells EW. “It’s always the No. 1 show every summer, but there’s something different right now.”

As for Simon Cowell, Cannon makes a pretty big comparison. “It’s made the show better. He’s the Michael Jordan of this. There’s no better TV judge than Simon Cowell and it’s awesome for him to be a part of something he created.”

That said, has Simon Cowell gotten soft? According to the man himself, he said that his judging style has changed since welcoming his baby boy Eric into the world.

“There’s no question when you actually have a kid, it does make you feel different because you understand how you would feel if it was your son up there.”

Cowell continued.

“I’m very conscious that the kids who audition for AGT want to be there, they’re not being pushed into it, and that they’re having a great day out, otherwise we wouldn’t see them. I think X Factor and Idol were edited so that I was always seen as this bad-tempered, miserable whatever – which of course I am at times, but I’m not like that the whole day! But on AGT there are so many feel-good moments that they show those more than me ripping people to pieces because they are rubbish.”

In fact, fatherhood is suiting Cowell so well that his son Eric was featured on an episode of America’s Got Talent. During a segment on the show, he was shown on a break dotting after his son. The two were playing with Mr. Potato Head as the cameras rolled. Then we saw Cowell feed Eric some raisins.

Prior to returning to his day job, Cowell told People magazine about his boy.

“He’s the world’s cutest little boy. I’ve got to tell you, he’s going to be my little right hand man. Anything he likes I like.”

As it turns out, he might have an ear for music just like his father.

“He’s brilliant. He comes down to the auditions and really enjoys the acts. He’s very good to watch funnily enough, because I can see when he’s bored and when he’s up dancing.”

Cowell continued.

“The other day when I was going to work, I said, ‘What does Daddy do for a job?’ And he said, ‘You push buzzers!’ I was like, ‘That’s it then?’ “

As for being back on the job, Simon says he felt like a new kid around town. “What was funny was that I felt like the new boy on AGT because these guys have worked together for so long. They kept kidding that I was the boss. I thought they were the boss and I was the new boy who’s gone to a new school and hoped they liked me.”

[Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images]

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