Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell is well-known across the globe as an English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol, The X Factor UK, and Britain's Got Talent, as well as the American television talent competition shows American Idol, The X Factor US and America's Got Talent.

Simon Cowell revealed on the “How to Fail with Elizabeth Day” podcast that he himself has a stutter as he told a story about relating to British singer Gareth Gates when he auditioned for “Pop Idol.”

Simon, 65, was on the judging panel when singer Gareth, 40, auditioned for the first ever series of the talent show back in 2001. Gareth captured fans' attention when he auditioned at the age of 17 and blew the judges away with his singing voice after struggling with a nervous stammer.

In the June 2025 interview, Simon revealed the audition was particularly poignant for him because he has dealt with a speech impediment of his own over the years. Simon said he sometimes struggles with a stutter when he is stressed and 'related' to Gareth's audition. “I have a bit of a stutter as well and people don't know that. There are times when I just can't get the words out for whatever reason, sometimes when I'm stressed,” he revealed.

“I kind of related to Gareth, this guy he was trying to talk and he looked so good. I thought, he looks like a star, this boy, and he couldn't talk. It took 10 minutes for him to eventually sing and when he sang, he was like a different person."

List of Famous People Who Stutter

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Emily Blunt

Actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life. A teacher encouraged her to act in a school play at age 12 despite her stuttering.

Blunt’s name is prominently featured on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter.

Frank Wolf

This Virginian congressman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. The longtime supporter of the Stuttering Foundation drew national attention to childhood stuttering in 2006 when he submitted an article about Tiger Woods from the SFA newsletter to the Congressional Record. The congressman is featured in the Stuttering Foundation's Famous People Who Stutter brochure.

King George

In November 2010, worldwide movie audiences were presented with a most interesting and unusual movie release with The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, history may have forgotten the courageous and inspiring story of Prince Albert who stuttered badly and never dreamed that he would ever be king when his older brother, King Edward VIII, abruptly abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.