You see them on TV, and you wonder what they're like in person. Well, here are my impressions of them.
Nigel is an honorable man. I think he stayed true to his "rules" even when there was a great temptation to break them. He doesn't bend the rules when they are not applicable to an exceptional unforseen situation (which may be a good or bad thing.)
He can be remarkably charming, and I suspect he instills great loyalty in those who work for him. On the other hand, he can also put on another facade, the meanest "son of a fish" you've ever met, at the drop of a hat. Even before I earned his ire, I thought he was "trying too hard to be mean" for the camera, which is less effective at getting a response than just telling the truth bluntly.
I know Nigel has had formal dance training, and I suspect he's got better musical performance knowledge than Randy, Paula, and Simon combined. It would be great if he used his skills to help performers improve instead of just being "Nasty Nigel."
Nigel is a pretty good showman. Like me, he knows that half of comedy is reaction, and he's not afraid of silence. This led to some weird moments in my audition before him, as we both decided to wait for a reaction from the other party. Looking back, that was kind of hilarious....
Before auditioning before the famous Nigel, I auditioned before Ken Warwick. For my audition he took a back seat to the unknown "head judge" from Round 1 Birmingham auditions. He seemed very observant, and he liked my impression of Simon Cowell, so I guess he's got good taste.
I am impressed that he was able to stay content the longest at being "behind the scenes" which speaks a good deal to his character. Frank Herbert said "Power attracts the corruptible." and I suspect that "Fame attracts the unsavory."
What do I think of Jim?
What do I think of David
What do I think of Kathleen?