"I get very, very down", Cowell told Winfrey on her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, also recalling his experience of losing his job, car and home after a business deal turned sour.
You should never put on a fake smile, Cowell noted, "when you're feeling down, you're feeling down."
Although he is often seen as being the most arrogant and abrasive judge on the show, it is clear that he is aware of his reputation, while admitting that he has a big ego. "I thought that I was absolutely untouchable".
Cowell's interview with Winfrey was broadcast one week before the finale of American Idol.
