FoxWe're not calling Simon Cowell a liar. But we would just like to point out that the original American Idol judge told E! News on Friday that he was planning to be out of the country during the show's two-hour series finale—except, as we saw tonight, he turned up to the two-hour celebration anyway.
"At the moment, I'm due to be in another country, but I'm trying to work something out," he told us last week when we asked about his plans for finale night.
But guess what? He wasn't in another country. He was in the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, celebrating the end of the reality TV phenomenon with most every other important figure in the show's history.
He joined his fellow former judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson on stage to share a big group hug that made us unexpectedly emotional, and to probably give Paula and Randy a chance to try out their acting skills as they pretended they didn't know he would be there.
He then proceeded to tease Paula for "being so mean to the contestants, when we were trying to be nurturing, helpful...I think now is the time to apologize to America," he joked.
"I'd like to say on behalf of us, thank you America for inviting us into your homes. Thank you to the contestants, to Fox for actually putting us on air, to you guys for actually being my best friends now, and I am going to miss you," Simon said to Paula and Randy, putting an official end to the sibling-like rivalry they had over the years.
Cowell then complimented Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. as the current judges, and wished the contestants luck before William Hung showed up to sweep all the fuzzy feelings off the stage with a quick rendition of "She Bangs."
We're not mad that Simon kinda-sorta lied to us—or at least fudged the truth a bit, because you know that he clearly knew on Friday he would be there—we're just glad he showed up at the end. What would a grand goodbye to Idol be without the man who helped it become a worldwide phenomenon?
Cowell is returning to our TV screens as a judge on the upcoming season of America's Got Talent (alongside Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Mel B), and he told us that he's getting major Idol vibes from his new gig.
"There were 3-4 years of American Idol when we were having so much fun, and this reminds me of when I used to be on Idol," he said. "It's a very, very similar energy and it's fun and it brings me a lot of good memories from Idol as well."
Season 11 of America's Got Talent premieres May 31 on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)