Simon Cowell Reveals How a Strategic Fib Led to 20 Seasons of “America’s Got Talent” (Exclusive)

If it hadn't been for Simon Cowell's spur-of-the-moment thinking, it's imaginable America's Got Talent wouldn't beryllium nan powerhouse bid it is today.

Speaking to PEOPLE successful grant of nan NBC show's milestone 20th season, which premiered connected May 27, Cowell recalls nan series' humble beginnings and really they've managed to toggle shape it complete nan years.

"It was a very difficult show to waste actually, to beryllium honorable pinch you," Cowell, 65, admits successful this week's rumor of PEOPLE. "Because we made a aviator and nan aviator was dreadful, I mean really, really bad. So, it was dead."

When NBC called Cowell inquiring astir nan series, he remembers having conscionable "seven minutes of this pilot," which he describes arsenic "just astir watchable."

"They called maine and they said, 'What's this caller show like?' And I went, 'Oh, it's brilliant.,'" he recalls of his subtle fib.

"And they said, 'Can we person a look astatine it?' And I said, 'Yeah, travel complete to nan house,' " Cowell continues. "They came complete and I conscionable showed 2 minutes aliases 3 minutes of this show. And they loved it. They bought it. And that was it."

He adds: "If they hadn't made that telephone aliases travel to my location that day, we wouldn't having this speech coming because nan show, honestly, it was over."

As it turned out, NBC's determination to bargain AGT ended up being 1 of their best. After nan bid premiered successful June 2006, it went connected to nutrient 20 seasons successful nan U.S., dozens of winners (several of whom person headlined Las Vegas shows) and countless Got Talent spinoffs astir nan world.

For Cowell, it was a dream travel existent aft spending his ain puerility watching "much much basal versions of these" talent title shows successful nan U.K.

"I loved them,” says Cowell, who roseate to fame successful nan U.S. arsenic a judge connected American Idol, which premiered successful 2002. “The benignant of acts I retrieve arsenic a kid were those really wacky acts, wherever it conscionable utilized to ace maine up.”

"Once I'd done Idol and I enjoyed it, I benignant of thought, 'I deliberation I'd astir apt bask a show that has singers on pinch different acts,’" he says of creating AGT. “It was a ray bulb infinitesimal ... And it evolved into what it is now."

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Over nan years, things person changed — nan show added Golden Buzzers, leaned into nan powerfulness of societal media, and astir precocious launched a more behind-the-scenes consciousness for play 20 — but nan bosom of nan bid has remained nan same.

"I've seen this benignant of improvement complete nan years of really things person conscionable gotten bigger and better, much creative. And that is simply a really, really bully emotion erstwhile you spot that," he says. "We ever opportunity it is nan champion occupation successful nan world doing this."

"Personally, I deliberation nan champion point we ever did was to say, 'Why don't we person a competition, which is simply a talent competition, wherever location are nary restrictions?'" Cowell adds. "To person that benignant of state is superb because you're not restricted by thing and you're ever perpetually amazed astatine what group travel up with."

But that's not to opportunity Cowell hasn't personally changed done nan years. He and partner Lauren Silverman welcomed boy Eric successful 2014 and announced their engagement successful 2022. Since becoming a dad, Cowell says he's noticed a displacement successful his ain attack to AGT.

"It sewage easier since I became a dad, because arsenic Eric sewage a small spot older... I abruptly started to watch acts done his eyes thinking, 'Would he for illustration that?'" Cowell shares. "Because you want your kids and their friends to emotion nan show."

With 20 seasons nether his belt, Cowell sees nary extremity successful show — and knows if that time were to come, he'd miss it immensely.

"I do really judge that each twelvemonth you tin get amended because there's truthful galore group successful nan world pinch an bonzer talent," he says. "I deliberation nan level of talent mostly has conscionable sewage amended from erstwhile we first started to now."

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"If I didn't consciousness that was nan case, past I would conscionable say, 'Well then, that's it. We've had a awesome clip and convey you very much.' But you ever spell aft you decorativeness a season, 'Now I can't hold to spot who's going to travel connected [next] season' ... that's my information still, and I'm still really, really enjoying it," he continues.

"So for nan clip being, I've benignant of mapped retired my adjacent fewer years doing this, and I deliberation I'd miss it. I really would, I'm not going to lie," Cowell adds. "We do person agelong days astatine times and you're tired, but past erstwhile I watch nan show backmost and it's brilliant, it's like, 'Yeah, I would consciousness really atrocious if I wasn't doing this.'"

America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays astatine 8 p.m. ET/PT connected NBC.