How Simon Cowell Tried To Save This Famous Singer's Life

Simon Cowell has made a name for himself as the brutally honest judge of popular talent shows, like "American Idol," "The X Factor," "Britain's Got Talent," and "America's Got Talent." But behind the stern stare and harsh words, the British record executive hides a generous heart. Contestants on his shows often report that Cowell takes a genuine interest in them behind the scenes. "Everyone is still surprised to learn that Simon is not a jerk. He's really a very, very nice guy. When I did the first performance on the show, I got done, and Simon Cowell came backstage ... and just talked to me, wanted to find out a little bit more about me," former "AGT" contestant Noah Guthrie told the Greenville News in 2018.

In 2017, Cowell was so moved by the story of Julie Carlile, a teenage dancer who entered "BGT" in hopes of securing enough funds to undergo a specific operation in the U.S. to correct her scoliosis, a back condition that was set to end her dancing career, that he paid for it himself, as Metro reported. "He didn't have to do it and he has changed my life. There are no word to thank him for how grateful we are. It's just unbelievable," Carlile said.

Cowell also often donates hefty sums to children in need of expensive health treatments, like a 3-year-old suffering from neuroblastoma, as The Sun noted. In December, he showed his generosity again when he tried to save a singer's life. 

When Il Divo star Carlos Marín was admitted into a hospital in Manchester, England on December 8 and diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly after, his friend Simon Cowell reached out to offer assistance, Marín's ex-wife, Geraldine Larrosa (pictured here), told Spanish outlet Hola! (via Hello!). 

"Simon Cowell personally phoned the hospital and offered to help with anything," she said. Cowell even offered to fly Marín out to Madrid so he could get treatment in his native Spain. "But it was impossible. He was very sick and he would not have survived the pressure of the plane," Larrosa added. The 53-year-old Spanish baritone was placed into an induced coma and died of complications of the illness on December 19, Variety reported. 

Cowell formed Il Divo in 2003 for his Sony Music Synco Label, an attempt to popularize the opera genre by giving it a pop flavor, as Variety pointed out. It worked. Il Divo went on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide, according to the BBC. Cowell attributed the success of the group largely to Marín, whom he characterized as the man who made Il Divo finally get off the ground. "I thought it was never going to happen. I gave it three months, and then I got a visit from Carlos Marín, a 35-year-old Spaniard. A star had walked into my office," Cowell told Daily Mail in 2004 (via The New York Times).