Cowell

Music mogul Simon Cowell has finally explained his recent Britain’s Got Talent absence, revealing he suffered a fall that left him with a head injury

Simon Cowell has revealed that his recent no-show at Britain’s Got Talent auditions came after he fell down another set of steps – the latest in a series of mishaps for the long-time judge.

The 66-year-old music mogul missed the first two days of filming in Birmingham after the incident, leaving producers to call in Stacey Solomon to temporarily fill his place on the panel.

Cowell then later reappeared on the third day of auditions with a visible graze on his forehead, explaining only that he’d had “an accident.”

His absence was finally addressed during the show’s Blackpool auditions, when a choir made up of ambulance staff took to the stage. Amanda Holden joked: “I thought they might be here in case anything went wrong with you again because you were poorly last week.”

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Laughing off the comment, Cowell clarified what actually had happened as he finally shared the truth.

Speaking to the audience at the Winter Gardens, he said: “I fell down some steps, that wasn’t poorly, and I bumped my head, but I’m fine now.

“I wish you had been around a couple of weeks ago when I actually bashed my head. Seriously, no one sang for me then,” he added.

A show insider said the fall was a minor accident. They told The Sun: “Simon bumped his head when he stumbled on some steps. It’s the sort of thing that can happen to anyone. And, thankfully, he’s absolutely fine now.”

The timing of the incident, which occurred on October 1 and just a day before Birmingham auditions were due to begin, forced the show to cancel the opening session.

Rather than pause production entirely, Stacey Solomon was drafted in to maintain the four-judge panel, with Amanda Holden briefly stepping up as head judge.

Cowell later reassured fans via a short video, showing off the mark on his forehead and saying: “It’s Simon, I’m alive and I’m in Birmingham, I just want to say thank you for all your get well messages.”

It’s not the first time Cowell has been injured in a fall. In 2017, he was taken from his London home on a stretcher wearing a neck brace after tumbling down stairs just before The X Factor live shows.

Three years later, he broke his back testing an electric bike in Los Angeles, requiring major surgery and months of recovery.

Despite his latest setback, Cowell appeared in good spirits this week as he joined judges Amanda Holden, KSI, and Alesha Dixon on the red carpet for the Blackpool auditions.

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BRITAIN’S Got Talent star, Dave Betton, who was praised by Simon Cowell after performing with his son has died, aged 82.

Betton had appeared on the show alongside his son Dean in 2020, reaching its latter stages after impressing the judges.

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The father-son duo had left them stunned throughout and at one point received a standing ovation for rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life”.

Simon Cowell said at the time: “There are certain days I think what I need is a mug of hot chocolate – and you were a mug of hot chocolate!

“You made me feel good, I needed that.”

Betton, from Chesterfield, worked as a club singer after moving to Blackpool in 1981 with his wife after she bought the Dorchester Hotel.

Throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s he performed at clubs up and down the coast on the local circuit.

He went on to perform on tour in Australia and South Africa and even had a stint in Las Vegas, achieving a personal ambition of his.

Following the death of his wife, he had retired 15 years ago.

His son, Dean, had also carved out a career as a Robbie Williams tribute act and it was his idea that they should go on Britain’s Got Talent where they were billed as Dave and Dean.

“I always looked up to my Dad and he inspired me to take up singing, quite late in the game,” Dean said.

“He was definitely a local legend in his time – he would pack out clubs.”

Dave sadly passed away last month from sepsis after a short illness and was surrounded by his family.

His funeral will take place on Monday, October 27 at Carleton Crematorium.

He leaves two sons, five grandchildren, five great grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and a step great granddaughter.

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Amanda Holden has stepped up on Britain’s Got Talent after Simon Cowell’s illness forced him to miss the Birmingham auditions, with Stacey Solomon drafted in as a temporary replacement on the panel

Amanda Holden has been handed the role of head judge on Britain’s Got Talent after Simon Cowell was forced to withdraw from the Birmingham auditions due to illness.

Producers turned to Holden, 53, as the natural choice to lead the panel, given that she is the only judge who has remained on the show since its launch in 2007. Although Stacey Solomon was drafted in at short notice to replace Cowell during this week’s auditions at the Hippodrome, insiders stressed that Holden had earned the senior role.

A source revealed: “The producers were hugely grateful to Stacey for stepping in, particularly as it was at such short notice. What she did helped ensure the hundreds of audience members were not disappointed.

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“But they also thought she shouldn’t just go straight into Simon’s seat as head judge and that Amanda had very much earned that right. And she seamlessly filled the role during the first batch of auditions on Friday, with Stacey slotting right in with fellow judges KSI and Alesha Dixon,” they told The Sun.

It is not the first time Cowell’s sudden departure has led to a reshuffle. When the music mogul left the panel last year after learning of the tragic death of former One Direction star Liam Payne, the then-newcomer Bruno Tonioli stepped in as head judge.

Tonioli has since departed from the programme altogether, replaced this year by KSI, after filming clashes with his role on Dancing with the Stars. Cowell’s absence was first confirmed on Thursday when production cancelled the initial day of auditions.

There were hopes he might recover quickly enough to return on Friday, but he remained unwell. Instead, Solomon took his seat on the panel – a full-circle moment given that Cowell himself auditioned her on The X Factor back in 2009. She finished third in that series but has since become a well-known TV presenter.

And Stacey has shared her excitement after her dream of becoming a judge on Britain’s Got Talent has come true. The Sort Your Life Out star took to Instagram on Friday to share a glimpse of the iconic set of the long-running ITV show after she was asked to step in as a guest judge last minute.

The mum-of-five, 35, took to her Instagram stories to post a picture of the iconic BGT stage with her name in lights. Instead of Simon Cowell’s name, Stacey’s name could be seen on the iconic stage. Alongside the picture, Stacey wrote: “What in the alternative universe is going on. A dream.”

Cowell’s condition has not been disclosed publicly, and it remains uncertain whether he will be fit enough to appear on the third and final day of Birmingham auditions.

Filming is scheduled to resume next week in Blackpool, with producers optimistic that Cowell will be well enough to reclaim his place at the judging desk.

Until then, Holden is firmly established as the figure leading the panel in his absence.

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Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said Horner had “approached” the US-based team but added: “Nothing has gone any further. It is finished.”

Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen said the French team’s executive adviser and de facto boss Flavio Briatore was “old friends” with Horner.

Nielsen added: “I don’t know what they talk about. Everything I know is there are no plans for Christian to come to Alpine but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

Williams team principal James Vowles said Horner had not approached them.

“We’re very happy with the structure we have and it’s working,” Vowles said. “I don’t see any reason to change from that.”

Horner is free to return to F1 by the middle of next year after finalising a severance package with Red Bull on 22 September.

The 51-year-old was fired as Red Bull team principal after the British Grand Prix in July.

Multiple sources at Red Bull have told BBC Sport the settlement package was worth 60m euros (£52m).