The 18th season of Britain’s Got Talent kicked off this weekend, with Amanda Holden revealing Simon Cowell endured constant heckling while filming the audition process last year. BGT restarted last night with the auditions taking place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool in August 2024.
It seems Simon found himself on the receiving end of some playful jabs from the audience. The judging panel has a fresh look this year, with YouTube sensation KSI joining Amanda, Simon, and Alesha Dixon, stepping in for Bruno Tonioli on various filming dates due to scheduling conflicts.
Now, Amanda has shed light on just how relentless the heckling was for Simon.
Amanda told The Sun: “Because Simon’s in charge they took it all out on him – they called him an old fart, they flicked the Vs at him, and then all the way through two or three acts there are these women in the camera shot giving him the finger.”
“Then, at the end of the session, they’re like, “Simon, can we have a selfie?” and he’s like, “You’re joking, aren’t you?”
Although Simon sees the funniest side to it, with Amanda stating: “He loves having BGT in Blackpool precisely because the crowds are so raucous and enthusiastic. And he knows that sometimes he might be on the receiving end of their passion.
“He even encourages them to misbehave, even if sometimes the misbehaviour can cause a headache for the production team.”
It was previously reported the audition process had to be halted when health and safety staff were rushed on stage to rescue Simon. In a teaser for the new series, the talent judge was seen being ushered on stage by a competitor, who attempted to smash a group of watermelons with a mallet – while Simon anxiously lay in the middle of them.
Simon went on to explain to the Daily Record and other media at the press launch, expressing gratitude to the health and safety workers who stepped in to help him.
He revealed his nerves were exacerbated when the man became “nervous” and started slipping and “shaking” on stage as he smashed the watermelons. This left Simon’s fellow judges panicked as they watched on in horror.
Additionally, explaining he could feel the wind of the hammer going past his head, with watermelon juice violently splashing in his face. He was thankfully ok, as the hammer had missed his head by about an “inch”.