Simon Cowell pulls out of Britain's Got Talent at the last minute due to illness

03 February 2024 , 18:51

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Simon Cowell pulls out of Britain's Got Talent at the last minute due to illness

Simon Cowell recently had to skip a few auditions for the new series of Britain's Got Talent due to illness - causing a bit of headache for the show's producers.

The show boss, 64 had to withdraw at the last minute after developing a severe headache and feeling unwell upon arriving at the London Palladium for filming. An insider with knowledge of the situation revealed: "Simon was due to film as normal but he started to feel unwell.

The source continued: "After some deliberation, he told everyone he was unable to take part in filming. To say he was frustrated was an understatement. Simon loves making Britain's Got Talent, so he was annoyed that he had to miss filming."

Simon - who recently bumped up his security on the ITV show - being forced to make sudden exit meant his fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli had to carry on without him. Many of the acts were left disappointed when they realised they wouldn't be performing for all four of the panel.

The latest series of Britain's Got Talent is currently being filmed (WireImage)

The insider went on to tell the Daily Star: "The hopefuls were left waiting for quite a while. Then they realised they wouldn't be auditioning for Simon." The source added how many were "upset" as the dad-of-one is the judge they wanted to impress on stage during their auditions.

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This means Simon won't appear in some parts of the new series, with the insider claiming the fact a "ratings winner" like Simon being missing from a massive chunk of auditions footage isn't exactly ideal. Simon's absence follows the ITV talent show experiencing a bit of drama last month.

Filming for the 2024 new series of Britain's Got Talent took an unexpected turn on Wednesday 25th January, as someone sadly experienced a mental health crisis outside the venue where auditions were taking place. Metropolitan Police confirmed that a woman had been distressed nearby The London Palladium, with an insider telling the Mirror that ITV security assisted the force and helped ensure the woman was safe until she was reunited with a family member.

Following the incident, Simon was spotted leaving auditions with a new security guard in tow. The music mogul has good reason to be cautious when it comes to his security, following a plot to rob the dad-of-one's London home being foiled last year - leaving The X Factor creator in "total shock" and "disgusted" after discovering someone had developed software in a bid to steal from the homes of the rich and famous.

Speaking about the shocking plan, Simon told The Sun in July: "The fact that it is possible for a person to obtain the software code to sell to someone so they could rob the house my family lives in is disgusting. To even consider doing this is dangerous and reckless. People who attempt to enter other people’s homes couldn’t care less of the consequences and how people living in these houses could have been affected."

Zoe Delaney