Here's why Simon Cowell's absence from American Idol is a disservice to the contestants 

*Disclaimer: The following American Idol article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.*

American Idol has been on air since 2002 during which Kelly Clarkson emerged victorious and started her journey of becoming a household name. One of the judges during the pilot season of the singing reality show was Simon Cowell, who became known for his negative critiques and insults directed at contestants. However, he also praised the contestants when needed, but never offered his praise unless it was earned.

Since the former judge was not afraid of hurting people's feelings, it enabled him to share his honest opinions and his true feelings about the contestants' performances. I believe Simon's critiques were taken more seriously than the other judges', as were his praises, as contestants knew they had to earn their keep.

Comparing Simon's style of critiquing to that of the current judges, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie, was brutal but impactful. Meanwhile, the American Idol season 23 judges seemed softer and seemingly tend to avoid comments that could be considered harsh.

One example of this would be the Hawaii Week, during which most contestants received only positive feedback and little to no notes about how to improve themselves.

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3 times Simon Cowell was brutally honest on American Idol during his decade-long stint on the show

1) Simon Cowell's critique of Paige Miles' Top 11 performance during season 9

In American Idol season 9's Top 11 episode, which aired in 2010, Simon Cowell, along with the rest of the judging panel, was unhappy with Paige Miles's performance of Against All Odds. While the rest of the judges tried to soften the blow by telling her she had picked a "big song."

Simon Cowell, however, chose to be brutally honest by telling the American Idol season 9 singer that her performance was "all over the place." He told her that it seemed like there were five singers on the stage and that it got "progressively worse."

"The awful thing is that I know the point that you knew as well," he added.

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2) Simon Cowell's critique of Jim Verraros in season 1 Top 10

During American Idol season 1, which aired in 2002, Jim Verraros was one of the Top 10 singers. However, in Week 10, his rendition of of Easy was met with negative comments from Simon Cowell. Although Paula Abdul liked the performance, Simon disagreed.

His critique included references of the Olympics, given the singer's athletic history and told him that the two people who appeared on the stage before him ran "100 meters in 10 seconds."

"You ran it in five minutes. That's the difference," Simon said.

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3) Simon told Ian Bernardo his singing was horrendous during season 6 auditions

During the show's season 6 auditions, Ian Bernardo came to audition for a spot on the reality show. After his performance, Simon asked why he believed he could win American Idol, and Ian said because he could sing well. However, Simon disagreed and told him how he felt about his performance.

The former judge told the contestant that he looked "odd," danced terribly, and that his singing was "horrendous." He also made comments about the singer's appearance and called him a "Bush baby."

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Simon's not completely detached for complimenting contestants

Although Simon Cowell was known for being harsh during his time on the show, the judge sometimes praised the singers as well. One such example would be Simon's "prediction" about Carrie Underwood when the season 23 judge was a contestant on the reality show.

At the time, Simon had told the singer in 2005 that she would not only win the competition but that she would sell more albums than any other contestant on the show.

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American Idol season 23 is currently on air and releases new episodes every Sunday and Monday on NBC.