Simon Cowell called 'AGT' singer a 'manic mess' — and the audience booed like he was a movie villain
Simon Cowell is considered to be the strictest judge on the panel of ‘America’s Got Talent.’ He has often shared his straightforward comments during many auditions and has been very strict while choosing an act moving forward into the next round. One such moment came during a 2023 episode of the show, when with his stern personality, Cowell once had some harsh words for the country singer Kylie Frey, but got an instant response from the audience.
According to Daily Mail, Cowell said to Frey, “We really like you from your first audition and you've got a great personality.” However, his next words had everyone in the audience shocked. “I think a lot of people are going to really like you. I'm glad that you brought the energy. However, I think you were trying to do so much. It was like a manic mess," he said, adding, "Look, it might sound better when you are sitting at home watching it on TV. Where I was sitting it was like ''whoa'' there were some notes that didn't sound in tune.” Following his critique, the audience reacted with loud booing, clearly disagreeing with the judge.
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Cowell then went on to add that he can only express what he feels, while also letting the contestant know that she was the "real deal" during her audition. However, it was not just Cowell that night who had some strong opinions to share. When Frey, an Opelousas, Louisiana, resident, went on to perform another original song titled ‘I Do Thing,’ comedian Howie Mandel and the 'Modern Family' actress, Sofia Vergara, felt that there was something odd with the singer’s voice. According to the judges, the country singer's voice sounded off during several parts of the song. The two also mentioned that they were unable to hear the lyrics properly, to which Frey had said, "I was just having fun man." According to Fandom, Frey was seen in season 18 of the reality TV series and was eliminated in the Semifinals.
During her audition, Frey had performed an original song about her grandfather, which was titled ‘Horses in Heaven.’ Intriguingly, she was joined by two other members on the stage, one of whom was seen playing guitar, and the other playing drums. Mandel voted "no," saying that the song didn't move him at all, but the other judges, Cowell, Vergara, and Heidi Klum, gave the singer their three "yes" votes.
Frey was unfortunately eliminated in the Semifinals. After receiving feedback from the judges, she did not receive enough votes to advance to the top five that night. Another act that was eliminated that night was the Freedom Singers. Frey was inspired to focus on her talent by Reba McEntire. However, her biggest supporter was her grandfather, who always pushed her. Reportedly, he also told her that if she sang the national anthem for every rodeo that she showed up to, she might one day be asked by someone to perform it at the National Finals Rodeo.