American Idol's radio correspondent TONY COWELL joins Mike & Tara at 6:35am on Wednesdays & Thursdays with a behind the scenes report on the latest episodes from Season 11.
Tony Cowell is a journalist and showbiz correspondent reporting for TV and radio in the US and the UK. He is also an author who has written several books.
Tony was destined to be in the entertainment industry. He was born and raised in Elstree, England, home of the British film industry. His mother, Julie, was a former actress and dancer, and his younger brother is Simon Cowell.
Tony left school at 16 years old to follow his dream of being an actor. He studied at the Guildhall School of Drama in London.
He appeared in numerous TV dramas including a TV series with Roger Moore, The Saint. In 1971, he joined Eon Productions, producers of the James Bond films, to work for Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Tony worked as an assistant on the Bond film, You Only Live Twice, and on the film version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
In 2003, Tony co-authored Simon's biography, I Don't Mean To Be Rude But... published in the USA by Broadway Books and in the UK by Ebury Press. In 2005, Tony wrote, The Simon Cowell Book of Nasty Comments which was published by Blake Publishing in the UK & the USA. And, in 2006, he published, Is It Just Me Or Is Everybody Famous?
In Britain, he is a regular guest on ITV's This Morning, Sky News, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and GMTV reporting on celebrity gossip, especially The X Factor and American Idol.
In the USA, Tony is a regular contributor to CBS radio, Clear Channel and Saga Communications network with his Cowell Celebrity Gossip report. During American Idol season 7, Tony conducted 123 radio editions of his Cowell Celebrity Gossip. He is currently the special correspondent on The X-Factor for the Reelz Channel.
