Simon Cowell isn’t exactly mincing his words when it comes to the future of “The X Factor” host Steve Jones.
“He got a lot of stick,” Cowell told The Daily Mirror, using the British idiom for criticism.
Jones took a lot of heat from viewers during the show’s first season on Fox, which ended late last month.
He was criticized by some for his thick accent — while others didn’t like the way he interacted with the show’s contestants (and some complained he didn’t interact with the constants at all).
“I don’t think he did a bad job but, like ‘America’s Got Talent,’ there is a Brit limit on the show,” said Cowell, who was auditioning contestants for his other UK show, “Britain’s Got Talent.” (Jones is Welsh.)
Cowell, who produces “The X Factor” — based on his British hit of the same name — is also a judge on the show along with LA Reid, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger.
Earlier this month, Fox Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly, didn’t exactly give Jones a ringing endorsement, either.
“Whether Steve’s the guy or not, it comes under the heading of growth in general, so there will be some tweaks to the show,” he told TV writers in Pasadena, Calif.
“Hosting, as we know, it is a much harder job than meets the eye. I think everybody now has come to realize the value of [‘American Idol’ host] Ryan Seacrest.”
Jones was only part of the problem with “X Factor,” which Cowell predicted would draw about 20 million viewers each week — but ended up averaging about 13 million viewers.