In an interview with Extra the former panelist revealed that the network had reached out to him to join the reboot.
"I was asked to do it, and the answer is no. I have no interest. My memories are when we first started. It was a different time with Randy (Jackson), Ryan (Seacrest), and Paula (Abdul). You can't recreate that," Cowell said.
Cowell, 57, said he did not watch "American Idol" in its later years after he exited the reality TV show in 2010 to focus on "The X Factor."