Ex-American Idol contestant William Hung reveals the three words he’d tell Simon Cowell – 20 years after music mogul SLAMMED his audition as ‘grotesque’ in withering on-air review

Former American Idol contestant William Hung has revealed the three words he has 20 years after his brutal audition for Simon Cowell.

The aspiring star, who had studied civil engineering at the University of California, auditioned for the reality TV competition in 2004, then in its third season, with a rendition of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs.

William, then twenty, was met with strong disapproval when Simon offered the following: “If I’m honest, this is one of the worst auditions we’ve had this year. Serious. I mean, everything was grotesque.”

But despite the music mogul’s criticism, William, now 41, chimed in The mirror that twenty years later he would want to say to Simon: ‘I made it.’

The aspiring star, who had studied civil engineering at the University of California, auditioned for the reality TV competition in 2004, then in its third season, with a rendition of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs.

William had taken two days off school to appear at the auditions – much to the disappointment of his parents.

In throwback footage, the enthusiastic singer goes all out to deliver an enthusiastic performance, complete with a slew of unique dance moves.

But Simon didn’t hold back with his feedback.

‘You can’t sing. You can’t dance, so what do you want me to say?’ the TV personality said.

William managed to remain optimistic as he claimed: ‘I’ve done my best and I don’t regret it at all.’

Simon’s fellow judges Randy Jackson, now 67, and Paula Abdul, now 61, seemed more positive about his outlook, but Simon added, “William, go do some homework.”

The pair went back and forth with their verbal sparring, but William ultimately did not advance to the next round.

Nevertheless, William still credits his looks with helping him rise to stardom.

William, then 20, was met with fierce disapproval when Simon said: ‘It’s one of the worst auditions we’ve had this year, if I’m honest. Serious. I mean, everything about it was grotesque.”

William later uploaded his audition tape for American Idol to his YouTube channel, along with the caption, “I tried to stay positive so I could walk away with my head held high. I didn’t know this was the defining moment for my life.’

The singing hopeful also announced on Instagram that he landed a “record deal worth $25,000” after his audition, with his website reaching “over eight million hits in less than a month.”

Now, 20 years later, William revealed his honest thoughts behind his ‘unique interaction’ with Simon with The Mirror.

‘Whether you want to believe it or not, I have chosen my own path. I will continue to reinvent myself if necessary, but I feel like I’m there.

‘SImon is known for being a mean guy, so it wasn’t surprising, but he was very mean and said ‘worst audition ever’ and everything was ‘grotesque’.”

“He made his brutally honest comments and I responded positively.”

William also shared his advice for others looking at reality competitions as a potential career path.

‘I think it’s different now, because they want the good singers, but they still want that special story.

“It’s not just about the talent now, it’s about whether they can market you.

‘You can only focus on what you have control over. If you try your best and it doesn’t work out, there are always other paths you can take in life.’

In November, William posted a photo showing his birthday cake and captioned it, “I can’t believe I’m 41 already! Big changes this year’

In November, William posted a photo showing his birthday cake and captioned it, “I can’t believe I’m 41 already! Big changes this year.

“I got married, got a new job and experienced more emotional ups and downs, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow.

“Every time I think about other people who are more successful than me, I think about who I have to become to deserve the success.

“Thank you everyone for the continued support.”

William, who landed a job as a statistical analyst with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, continues to delight fans with live performances and cameo videos.

He has aAlso become a public speaker who gives motivational speeches and has spoken at TED X Chula Vista.

The star proudly concluded, “I feel good about where I am right now.”