Simon Cowell has spent plenty of time in the spotlight on the American side of the pond, with the Brit making a name for himself in the early years of American Idol as the judge who didn't mince words. More recently, he's been sitting behind a table on America's Got Talent, and his highest-profile gigs have left some with a surprising impression: they think he doesn't walk after all that time in a chair. He cleared the air in a pretty entertaining way shortly after the release of his new docuseries in the 2025 TV schedule, available now with a Netflix subscription.
The X Factor creator candidly spoke with The Sun's Clemmie Moodie, and he addressed the rumors that he doesn't walk. The buzz started after he was spotted striding down a hallway, and Cowell described the reactions as "so crazy." He went on:
I actually think if I hadn't made that docuseries, people may have thought I actually don't walk anywhere, because all I'm doing is sitting behind a desk pressing these buttons. I actually do walk quite a bit.
I can't say that certain fans suspecting that Simon Cowell doesn't walk is as wild as the rumors that Lea Michele can't read, and regular viewers of America's Got Talent can spot him on his feet for everything from standing ovations to participating in the occasional crossbow act.
Still, as he noted, he does spend most of his time on camera sitting behind a desk and pressing buttons (and sometimes golden buzzers), and the commentary about his bike accident faded away pretty quickly. Cowell did go on to confirm one suspicion that fans have about him, however, saying this:
I have the big heel so I can be a bit taller... Probably about an inch, inch and a half.
Simon Cowell doesn't always stand on the job, but when he does, he's probably looking an inch taller than his actual height! He recently revealed more of his unseated life in Netflix's Simon Cowell: The Next Act docuseries, which runs for six episodes after premiering back on December 10. Take a look at how he credited The Next Act for showing more of him than can be seen behind a desk:
Simon Cowell: The Next Act initially seemed like competition for American Idol and The Voice, although it hasn't earned enough viewers to crack into Netflix's Top 10 TV Shows in the U.S. That list is still dominated by Sean Combs: The Reckoning, which premiered more than a week before Cowell's docuseries and is the show that dethroned Stranger Things from the #1 spot. (Stranger Things is now at #3 after Rowan Atkinson's Man vs. Baby.)
It remains to be seen if Simon Cowell: The Next Act will return for another season on Netflix, whether to restart his journey to find the next hit boy band or continue working with the performers he discovered the first time around. One thing is certain: if there is more of The Next Act on the way, Cowell will probably be getting his steps in rather than only sitting behind a desk.
