Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Simon Cowell, music executive and television personality, was surprised by Michael Aspel at the recording studios of Pete Waterman, having been led to believe he was there for a meeting about the following week's Pop Idol programme.

Simon, who was born in London and began his career in the music publishing department of EMI, had his first hit single in 1986, with So Macho by Sinitta, released through Fanfare Records, which he co-founded. In 1989, he joined BMG as an A&R consultant, signing up a collection of recording artists, including Westlife, Sonia and Five, who clocked up 60 million record sales over the next decade.

In 2001, Simon joined forces with fellow entrepreneur Simon Fuller to create the television music competition Pop Idol, appearing as a judge on the programme and signing up the two finalists to his new record label, S Records. The format was launched in the US as American Idol in 2002, with Simon appearing again as a judge.

"Shit! Oh god! Thank you very much. Can I go now?"

programme details...

• Edition No: 1123
• Subject No: 1097
• Broadcast date: Thu 12 Jun 2003
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Mon 2 Jun 2003
• Venue: Teddington Studios
• Series: 43
• Edition: 18
• Code name: Pop

on the guest list...

• Tony - brother
• John - brother
• Nicholas - brother
• Julie - mother
• Pete Waterman
• Louis Walsh
• Brian McFadden
• Kian Egan
• Mark Feehily
• Nicky Byrne
• Shane Filan
• George Matthews
• Penny Matthews
• David Barry
• Amanda Dickinson
• Michael Winner
• Sinitta
• Abs Love
• Scott Robinson
• Gareth Gates
• Nicki Chapman
• Neil Fox
• Max Clifford
• Kelly Clarkson
• Nigel Lythgoe
• Bonnie Lythgoe
Filmed tributes:
• Ant McPartlin
• Declan Donnelly
• Heather James
• David Hasselhoff

production team...

• Researcher: Deborah Cowan
• Writer: Ian Brown
• Director: John Gorman
• Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
• Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
• Producer: Sue Green

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

Top of the Pops

charting the pop stars

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

End of an era as Aspel closes his big red book

Press coverage as Michael Aspel quits This Is Your Life

This Is Your Life Set For TV Comeback

Press coverage of the programme's relaunch

Michael Winner

Screenshots of Simon Cowell This Is Your Life