When American Idol first debuted in 2002, viewers had never seen anything quite like Simon Cowell on their TV screens. His blistering feedback often left contestants in tears. However, fans loved it, and the show's popularity exploded. Viewers continued tuning in long after Cowell left the show in 2010. Recently, Ryan Seacrest's Season 1 co-host spoke out about his time on the show.
Likely, only hardcore American Idol fans remember Brian Dunkleman. The comedian joined Ryan Seacrest as co-host during the show's inaugural season. He did not return for Season 2. The one-season wonder recounted his Idol experience during an interview on the Still Here Hollywood podcast with Steve Kmetko
Those 25 episodes took a toll on Dunkleman. He recalled one particularly grueling hour-long stretch ⁘where kid after kid came, [and] every one of them was bawling.⁘
An actor and comedian himself, Dunkleman knows the sting of a bad audition. At one point, overcome with empathy, ⁘ I just went and found a corner behind the curtain,⁘ he told Kmetko. ⁘I just started crying.⁘
The 52-year-old made it clear he has only positive things to say about Cowell personally, along with Season 1 judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. Still, he felt the show's format was unnecessarily brutal—although he acknowledges that Cowell's blunt nature was a huge part of American Idol's appeal.
[RELATED: The Story Behind Simon Cowell Ditching 'American Idol' ⁘ the Restriction that Forced His Hand]
Now a father himself, Dunkleman doesn't believe TV shows should set kids up for public humiliation. "You're putting them in front of cameras, and I can hear them [go]. 'Oh, this girl, she thinks she can actually sing. We're gonna crush her,'⁘ he said. ⁘She's 16."
Legend has it Dunkleman was fired from American Idol . However, he says that was not the case—although he sometimes wishes it were.
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