Simon Cowell Gets Mean, Even For Him, On 'America's Got Talent'

Tuesday’s second round of “America’s Got Talent” quarterfinals featured vintage Simon Cowell .

And that wasn’t a good thing for the contestants. The judge ripped several acts in the live show, USA Today reported.

Welcome to showbiz, people.

He sliced up Nick & Lindsay’s sloppy knife throwing/singing routine. Pushing the dreaded red X button, along with fellow judge Howie Mandel, Cowell sniped (as seen in the clip above): “In the history of ‘America’s Got Talent,’ that was the worst live performance I’ve ever seen.”

He insulted 13-year-old singer Charlotte Summers for what he called her “terrible, terrible song choice” of “Diamonds Are Forever,” as also seen in the “ET” clip at the top. Summers began to cry while the audience booed the negative critique, popculture.com noted . 

The Golden Buzzer-advanced dancers Light Balance Kids were also dissed by the persnickety panelist, who said the performance “felt tame” and lacked a “wow factor,” “Entertainment Tonight ” wrote.

 “This isn’t going to make me very popular,” Cowell conceded.

Contortionist Marina Mazepa’s act didn’t escape Simon’s wrath, either. He said it “got boring.”

“There were moments tonight, like what the hell was that?” Cowell told “ET” afterward. He said he hoped the criticism would push the performers to get better.