Simon Cowell has been known to crush contestants’ egos as a judge on Britain’s X-Factor. But few reactions have been as surprising as that of Katrina Lee, who underwent plastic surgery after Cowell dismissed her audition five years ago because of her looks. Now she’s back, and she’s different all over.
X-Factor hopeful Katrina Lee recently went to surgical extremes to climb the audition ranks on the popular British talent show. The singer wannabe, now 23, has advanced in the show’s auditions – five years after suffering one of Simon Cowell’s more snide comments.
Why the new success? It could be that though Lee’s talent remains, her face isn’t the same. For Lee, the latest auditions came on the heels of extensive plastic surgery.
In 2004, Cowell liked how the 18-year-old sounded but didn’t like her appearance. He reportedly told her, “I just wish I could put your voice in another body.”
Lee didn’t make it through and her ego was crushed.
“It was terrible,” she told The Sun in Britain. “I came face-to-face with Simon Cowell and told him that his comments had nearly wrecked my life.”
But, Lee wasn’t about to give up. She has spent the last several years working on her outward appearance in hopes of catching the eye of the critical Mr. Cowell. Her total makeover regimen included liposuction, facial laser surgery, dental surgery, intense exercise and a new hair color.
“I’ve gone to every extreme to get to this point,” she said.
Sporting her new look, Lee went to this year’s X-Factor auditions and blasted the judge panel with Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” They sent her to the next round – this time with no insults.
“I’m really pleased I’ve come this far,” Lee said.
Reportedly, Cowell admitted he’d been cruel and told Lee she was now “a good-looking girl.”
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Clearsky54 responded:
If Simon Cowell was cruel enough to tell her that he wished he could put her voice in “another body,” he really needs to step down from his post and do some soul-searching. And if this girl thinks she looks better as a result of plastic surgery, she’s living in a fantasy world. To think that her entire goal was to look better so that she could advance to the next round of a talent contest is utterly pathetic. I am sorry; it used to be that if someone were talented we forgave any physical imperfections. Remember Mama Cass? Janis Joplin? What about Aretha? No one would say they were beautiful women in today’s sense. But we loved them because of their talent. Their talent made them beautiful. Now we have cretins like Simon Cowell insulting poor stupid girls, who then have plastic surgery? And, I am sorry, but Katrina Lee looks like a transvestite. The hair color, the bangs, the dress — this is not a look. Sometimes people need to leave well enough alone.