Simon Cowell in tears after an emotional audition in 'The X Factor' 2015
Fans of the hit reality competition "The X Factor" saw Simon Cowell broke down in tears after an emotional audition in the TV show. Cowell recently lost his mother, Julie Brett, and was not able to hide what he is going through, as he listens to Josh Daniels singing "Jealous" by Labrinth.
Daniels said to the judges that the song is close to his heart since its words capture his own loss, the death of someone dear to him when he was 18. "I lost my best friend a couple of years ago and I interpret it in a totally different way," the 21-year-old singer told the judges.
The 55-year-old judge was rendered speechless after Daniel's mesmerizing performance of the song's emotional lyrics, and was seen wiping his tears. "It was very raw and it did take me back to the moment, but I think in quite a healthy way. Being upset is a human thing," he told the Sun. It was later disclosed that the audition was taken just shortly after Cowell's 89-year-old mother died last July. The music producer was reported utterly devastated by the loss.
Daniels was not aware of the Syco Entertainment founder's current ordeal, but Cowell assured that the contestant did not purposely upset him. "He sang the song for his own reasons. It was more important that he did a good audition," Cowell explained.
The show's producers were also careful in showing the video to the judge and asked whether they should show footage of Cowell's emotional breakdown. Cowell said that he's "OK with it", and he will leave the decision entirely to them. "You can't censor stuff like that," he added.
The show is hosted this year by Caroline Flack and Olly Murs, and joining Cowell on the judging panel are Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Rita Ora, and Nick Grimshaw.
Watch The X Factor 2015 on ITV, every Saturday and Sunday, 8 p.m. GMT.