Simon Cowell, who spent Monday morning talking to the media about America's Got Talent (the hit NBC show he produces), talked to me about David "the Hoff" Hasselhoff, Got Talent's mean judge Piers Morgan, and why he would rather be behind the scenes of the reality shows he produces than in front of the cameras on American Idol. Here's my Q&A with Simon during an NBC conference call.

Hi Simon...I was wondering if David Hasselhoff will be back next season. And how do you feel about the comment he made that he was conned by you into doing the show?

(Laughs.) To answer your first question, he is coming back. Regarding the second comment, I think it was David’s vague attempt at humor because he called me afterward and he said “Oh, I was trying to be ironic and sarcastic" and I said, “It didn’t quite come over that way David.” But he called me and then he sent me an email. He was genuinely apologetic about it. And I think it was him trying to be funny.

Now, you’re known as a tough judge, but Piers, he made little children cry. Do you think he was too tough on the little ones?

I think any judge on these shows is liable to make little people cry. Young singers on these shows, I think they cry in any competition they go into. It certainly wasn’t intentional. When you enter these shows as a judge, you have got to be realistic and honest. And that’s what I think he was trying to do. But it certainly wasn’t intentional.

You’re behind the scenes of quite a lot of reality shows now. What do you enjoy more – being in front of the cameras with Idol or behind the scenes of the other shows?

Both, really, to be honest with you. I get as much pleasure from Idol -- being there from the beginning when the show was created -- as I do from being on it. I think it’s the same thing with America’s Got Talent, as an example. You feel very proud of these shows. I probably enjoy being behind the scenes more than being on camera, if I’m being honest.

And why is that?

I never went into this business to be on the TV. It wasn’t part of my mission statement. It happened by accident. But with running a record label for many years and being behind the scenes, it’s probably where I am most comfortable.