Simon Cowell on X Factor Season 2: "They Don't Want You to Watch This Show"

Simon Cowell said it plainly: "I think NBC decided to put The Voice up against us as a spoiling tactic. They don't want people to see this first episod…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

On September 6, 2012, Simon Cowell joined a press call ahead of the two-night premiere of The X Factor Season 2, airing Wednesday, September 12th and Thursday, September 13th at 8 p.m. on Fox. Joining him was new judge Demi Lovato. Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton asked Cowell about the election — and got an answer he passed straight to Demi.

There are so many things going on this season — the election, The X Factor. Who do you consider the x factor for this election, and if you were to judge them, what would your ruling or opinion be?

Since I'm not American, I'm going to pass this one over to Demi.

"They don't want you to watch this show"

Cowell was blunt about NBC scheduling The Voice against X Factor 's premiere: "I've seen the first show. I think it's sensational. I think the girls do a great job. The contestants are great. The show looks different to anything else we've ever made before. I think this is the reason why NBC decided to put The Voice up against us. It is a spoiling tactic and it's very simple — they don't want people to see this first episode. I think it's mean-spirited and I hope and I pray that it backfires on them because this is one of the best shows we've ever made." On Mark Burnett's claim that the scheduling conflict never crossed his mind: "Give me a break. Like I don't know when my show is going out next week."

Britney Spears: "surprisingly quite mean"

Cowell described his new co-judge in terms that surprised even him: "Britney is a fascinating person because you just don't know anything about her. She's very unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen. She has taken this very seriously and she's surprisingly quite mean. In the past we've had judges who never say no. She can't say no quick enough on this show." He added: "If you buy a dog, you expect it to lick you and then it turns out to bite you? It was rather like that." On her fearlessness in front of 5,000 people who booed her: "She's going to surprise a lot of people."

The new breed of contestants

Cowell was particularly enthusiastic about the 12-to-17-year-old age group: "They're like a whole new breed who actually haven't even been brought up on these talent shows before. They've been influenced by what they see on YouTube, social networking, and stuff like that. They've brought something very interesting to the show." He also noted the groups were significantly stronger than Season 1: "It's very, very competitive this year. Right from the get-go, you're going to see some amazing people in the first episode."

More reality, less voiceover

On what makes Season 2 different: "There is no voiceover on this show. There are no hosts. The contestants tell the story themselves. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be on one of these shows, this show is a real glimpse of how stressful it is for the contestants." He described watching the finished cut: "Even though I've filmed it, there was a ton of stuff which I wasn't aware of happening backstage. Maybe before, we showed people 60% of the process — now it feels like it's 100%."

On the host search and One Direction vs. Justin Bieber

With the premiere days away and no host announced, Cowell said a decision was expected within seven days: "My gut feeling is we'll probably go with a boy and a girl who haven't had any hosting experience because I think that might make it more interesting." On the friendly rivalry with L.A. Reid: "Last year he had Justin Bieber, this year I've got One Direction, so there is a lot of competition between the two of us." The X Factor Season 2 premieres Wednesday, September 12th on Fox.

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