Simon Cowell, the caustic judge from “American Idol,” “The X Factor” and “America’s Got Talent,” has mellowed. He’s grappled with the death of Liam Payne, one of the singers he discovered and cast in the megafamous boy band One Direction. He also lost both of his parents, became a father and went to therapy. His latest project is a Netflix series called “Simon Cowell: The Next Act.” In it, Cowell goes back to his roots, auditioning and training a group of teenagers to be in his new boy band. In this conversation with “The Interview” host Lulu Garcia-Navarro, he talks about his life, Payne’s death, his viral walk through the “Spirit Tunnel” on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and more. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/magazine/simon-cowell-interview.html “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Subscribe to New York Times audio: https://bit.ly/3Qz3GZu Download the New York Times app: https://bit.ly/4gZdoip #theinterview