Simon Cowell posted a congratulatory message to Harry Styles on Instagram, sharing a photo of the two men embracing with the caption, “Congratulations @harrystyles! Very proud of you!” The brief, warm message was intended as a public show of support following Styles’s big night at the BRIT Awards.
However, the post drew a very mixed response. Rather than praise, many of the comments were from Harry’s fans expressing anger or discomfort toward Simon Cowell. Responses ranged from terse refusals like “go away” to more explicit criticism of Cowell’s role in the early years of One Direction’s career.
Harry thanked his mom, thanked One Direction, did not thank Simon Cowell
At the BRIT Awards, Harry Styles enjoyed a hugely successful night, taking home four awards. While accepting the Artist of the Year prize, he thanked his mother for signing him up for The X Factor auditions in 2010, a decision he said he would not have made on his own. He also expressed gratitude to his fellow One Direction members—Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik—saying he would not be where he is without them.
Noticeably absent from that list was Simon Cowell, the creator of The X Factor and the executive whose label later signed the group. Harry’s onstage thank-yous focused on family and the bandmates who shared the early years with him, and he made no public acknowledgment of Cowell during his acceptance speech.
A post shared by Simon Cowell that featured a congratulatory photo with Harry Styles.
Following Cowell’s Instagram post, many fans took the opportunity to voice long-standing grievances about the management and demands placed on One Direction during their early career. A sample of the comments under Cowell’s post illustrates the sentiment:
“Notice how Harry thanked all the One Direction boys and not you. Now think why that might be.”
“He deserves everything and it’s because of his effort and his family and friends, not you.”
“Let’s be real Simon. Harry is a GREAT artist; he owes you nothing. Harry didn’t win those awards because of you, he won them because of the talent he has.”
“You destroyed young men’s self esteem but you’re proud????”
“Get my baby’s name out of your mouth.”
“Can someone edit Simon out? That pic would be so cute.”
“No. Get off. Delete. Deactivate.”
“Go back to hell and don’t talk about him, thank you.”
“I don’t think he likes you…”
“Side eye. SIDE EYE.”
“I hate you.”
When readers questioned why the post attracted so much hostility, fans pointed to a broader history: many believe the band members were heavily pressured, tightly controlled by management, and overworked throughout their early success. That narrative has persisted for years and resurfaced strongly in response to any public association between Cowell and the band.
Not every response was negative. A small number of fans defended Cowell’s gesture, suggesting his message was simply prideful and friendly rather than a claim to credit for Harry’s solo achievements. One supporter commented that Cowell never stated Harry owed his success to him and argued that the post was comparable to congratulating any former contestant or colleague on a major win.
A post shared by One Direction, reflecting on the band’s legacy and fan memories.
“I needed to stop, definitely. It would have killed me.”
One Direction finished third on The X Factor UK in 2010 and then moved quickly into an intense recording and touring schedule. The band released five albums in five years and spent much of that time on the road. The pace took a toll: Zayn Malik left the group in 2015, citing unhappiness and creative differences, and the group went on hiatus the following year.
Members of One Direction have since reflected on that period. In a 2019 interview, Liam Payne spoke openly about feeling overworked and losing his personal life amid the demands of constant touring and promotion. He described living as a reclusive public figure and said, “I needed to stop, definitely. It would have killed me.” Those reflections contributed to the perception among many fans that management and industry pressures played a damaging role in the band’s early years.
Although not all former band members have publicly criticized the experience—Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan have generally spoken more warmly or neutrally about their time together—the public debate about responsibility and care during their early career remains active among fans and commentators. The reaction to Simon Cowell’s Instagram post shows how strongly those feelings persist: for many, public congratulations from the figure associated with the band’s formation still trigger complex emotions tied to the years when the group was being built and managed.
Ultimately, Harry Styles’s solo success at the BRIT Awards focused attention again on the formative years of One Direction and the people around them. Cowell’s simple message—“Very proud of you!”—was interpreted in many different ways, and the fallout underscores how charged the history between artists, managers and fans can be when a major award night brings past dynamics back into the spotlight.