Rocco Berardi has faced characters a lot tougher than Simon Cowell and his fellow “American Idol” judges.
“Those guys aren’t as harsh as they seem on the show,” said the NYPD cop, who failed to make the final cut but may still get his five minutes of fame.
Berardi was among 15,000 contestants who auditioned in Boston in August for a chance to sing for Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. He got to the last round of 30 people.
And he’ll be glued to the tube tomorrow night, hoping his audition is among those aired.
“The worst Simon could come up with was, ‘You’re a wedding singer. If I was drunk at a wedding, you may sound good,’ ” Berardi recalled.
“What you see on TV is a lot different than being there,” said the officer, who performed “New York, New York.”
“What else would a New York City cop sing?” he asked. “I couldn’t do Justin Timberlake.”
Berardi, who patrols the Staten Island Ferry and sings for the 120th Precinct’s Ceremonial Unit, said he’s primed for another shot at being an Idol.
“The experience was unforgettable,” he said. “I think next year I’ll just do some Barry White, or maybe Josh Groban.”