Let’s get BGT bonkers again! A dog that’s almost human, a spooky apparition, a practical joker judge… Britain’s Got Talent’s back after a year off, but it hasn’t muted the madness, say Simon and co…
- Britain’s Got Talent is back after being forced off air due to the pandemic
- Simon Cowell’s Mr Nasty is starting to slip after becoming a father and his close brush with paralysis when he fell off his electric bike nearly two years ago
- The judges say that they are looking forward to being back together, especially after covid, and the show hasn’t changed since it first aired 15 years ago
The sight of David Walliams making a grand entrance as a giant golden buzzer, Amanda Holden raising eyebrows with another gravity-defying dress and a bizarre-looking phantom giving Alesha Dixon and Simon Cowell the heebie-jeebies can only mean one thing.
Yes, Britain’s Got Talent is back after being forced off air last year due to the pandemic – and it’s determined to put the barminess back into our Saturday nights.
But there’s one drastic change – Simon’s crown as TV’s Mr Nasty is starting to slip. Becoming a father eight years ago softened him up, Covid turned his stressful schedule on its head and a close brush with paralysis when he fell off his electric bike nearly two years ago made him completely re-evaluate his life.
Pictured left to right: Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon. Britain’s Got Talent is back after being forced off air due to the pandemic
‘All the judges get emotional for different reasons,’ he says. ‘I definitely do too. The fact that I have a child has changed everything. I now think , “What if it was Eric who was up there on stage?”
‘This is a love you never understand until you’ve had children. It’s scary how much love you have. So now I’m always looking at the parents when their children are on stage because I get it much, much better now.’
Now in its 15th year, part of BGT’s attraction has always been that ominous moment of silence before Simon delivers his judgment on the acts – often scathing, occasionally lavish with praise, but always dished out with honesty. ‘I don’t think you can do this show if you don’t like people,’ he says.
‘And that means in three minutes you’ve really got to try and get to know someone quickly and that’s pretty difficult. If you’re bored of the process – and I’ve seen that happen – it’s tough.
‘When someone isn’t very good, you can’t take it seriously. Sometimes you can’t help but laugh – we do see some crazy stuff.
‘But it wouldn’t be me if I said to everybody, “You’re brilliant.” I wish they were, but they’re not.
‘The reason I’ve done this show for so many years is because it’s like mining for diamonds – occasionally, out of nowhere, something amazing happens. When that happens you never, ever forget it. Those moments are still in my brain and they’re still brilliant.’
He’s thinking of Paul Potts, the first BGT winner back in 2007, with his incredible rendition of Nessun Dorma; singer Susan Boyle who came second to Diversity in 2009; and Ashleigh Butler who, alongside her performing dog Pudsey, melted Simon’s heart in 2012 – to name a few.
‘Susan’s a star, but she’s never changed. Even now she still calls me Mr Cowell. I just adore her. Paul Potts was a game-changer, and remember George Sampson, who won in 2008? That was great. It’s very good to be back.
‘We all kind of looked at each other on the first day back and realised we’ve genuinely missed this. I could feel it,’ says Simon, 62.
David echoes the sentiment. ‘It was very celebratory as everyone was so pleased after we were unable to do it last year. I felt it when I walked out in front of the audience. I mean, I’m a bit of a showoff, but I thought,
‘“Wow I’ve really missed this.” We did see each other a bit, as rules allowed. I had a birthday party that the girls and Ant and Dec came to, but Simon was in America I think.
‘We have a WhatsApp group but Simon claims he doesn’t have a phone – which may be true – so I have to talk to him via his partner [fiancée Lauren Silverman]. I don’t know if she passes on my messages of love. She probably doesn’t.’
The good-natured bickering between Simon and David is part of the show’s appeal, and David’s only too happy to perpetuate this. ‘Simon thinks people only buy my books because he made me famous.
‘The only time Simon doesn’t really laugh is when it’s sort of “university humour” – as he calls it’ according to Amanda
‘It annoys him that he doesn’t own 50 per cent of my royalties for ever more. One of the things about this show is that you meet a lot of people, particularly eccentric people, so once or twice I’ve been inspired by acts that could be a spark for a character of some sort.’
Since Alesha and David joined Simon and Amanda on the panel in 2012, the judges line-up hasn’t changed, and it’s rare for Simon not to shake things up. One of the reasons why the formula works is that they have all become parents during their time on the show, and their children have formed one big family.
‘I’ve always loved the fact that we had a child pretty much at the same time,’ says Amanda. ‘They get on so well – hopefully they’ll see each other during the Easter holidays.’
With this being the first show since the 2020 series where there was no live audience for the semi-finals or final, there’s been much merriment and high jinks. ‘Simon says David and I were like rabbits out of the trap in a greyhound race this year,’ laughs Amanda, 51.
‘It was overwhelming for us to walk out and have a proper audience again. Everyone is so glad to be back and there’s a joyful feel to this series.
David and I love to volunteer and get up on stage. We have the same taste – the camp acts and anything classical – whereas Alesha and Simon have the same taste due to their music industry backgrounds.’
Alesha, 43, thinks the pandemic has had an effect on the way the judges react, though. ‘I think we were softer as judges this year as we’re taking into consideration what a tough couple of years it’s been for everybody.
David, 50, (pictured) is at pains to point out that what you see on your screen hasn’t been rehearsed in any way whatsoever
‘People’s stories, situations and struggles have all been different. I believe there’ll be a very special act to emerge from this series.’
David, 50, is at pains to point out that what you see on your screen hasn’t been rehearsed in any way whatsoever. ‘I’ve never really done anything like it where there’s absolutely no preparation,’ he says.
‘I know some cynical people say, “Oh, I bet it’s all scripted and rehearsed,” but it really, 100 per cent, hand on heart, is not.
DARING DRESSES? I SAY JUST DO IT!
Amanda says she still feels nervous after 15 years because she cares deeply about the job, but her nerves don’t extend to her outrageous outfits.
The low-cut midnight blue dress with a daring leg split she wore in 2020 resulted in 235 Ofcom complaints, while in 2017, she blew us all away with a Julien Macdonald creation with a neckline plunging all the way down to her navel which brought in a huge 663 complaints.
And it seems we can expect more from mischievous Amanda this year.
‘I was just thinking about Union Jack nipple tassels, so let’s start a conversation,’ she chuckles.
‘My eldest girl Lexi has a really good eye so I totally trust her opinion, and my youngest daughter Hollie is so like me, she thinks, “Just do it!”
My husband Chris truly has absolutely no care in the world as long as I’m not flashing everything.
‘We only have a sheet of paper with the names of the contestants on – we don’t know what it is they’re going to do, or if they’re good or bad, so we just react in the moment.
‘It’s quite interesting, being at auditions in front of 3,000 people for so long. There’s no script, no rehearsals; you’re relying on your wits.’
But even David can go too far – to the extent that he recently got a ticking off from Simon for making a lewd joke during the auditions. ‘Sometimes there are things you do to entertain the audience who are flagging as they’ve been there for a few hours and it’s 11pm.
‘But I understand that that’s not necessarily for the TV,’ David admits. ‘It’s like when you go to see a chat show and someone says a rude word that you know won’t make it on to the TV.
‘The audience like that because it’s something they wouldn’t get to see on television. It has an effect because the audience think, “Oh my God, they don’t normally do that on this show!”
‘It’s not all gold, though. There are times when I’m not funny and Simon looks at me as if to say, “Oh, was that meant to be funny?” and I’m like, “Well, it’s not all going to be funny, you’ve got me for ten hours a day in front of this audience, it’s not all going to be great.”
‘But I do try. I love the feeling when something magical happens, it’s a real high because you’ve sort of created something out of nothing.’
Much as she likes to tease Simon, Amanda is conscious of his boundaries. ‘David’s always up for laughing at himself and being silly – he’s a practical joker.
‘The only time Simon doesn’t really laugh is when it’s sort of “university humour” – as he calls it – where he feels like the mickey’s been taken and the joke’s on us rather than the joke itself.
‘Simon often needs to have things explained, like if there’s somebody doing impressions that are particularly bad, he leans into me to ask, “Who’s that supposed to be?”
‘I’m like his secretary! I’d say Simon’s very happy and chilled. He’s never going to slow down, but he’s had a couple of life-changing moments and now has a clearer view of life.’
In August 2020, Simon was riding an electric bike in Malibu when he had an accident and broke his back in multiple places. He was rushed to hospital before undergoing six hours of surgery, which included placing a metal rod in his back.
Doctors said he was fortunate not to be paralysed. ‘We tell Simon, “You don’t have to go out on an electric bike, you can walk,”’ says Alesha.
‘He’s rebellious and an adrenaline junkie. But he’s a grown man and can make his own decisions.’
Simon confesses he’s had a sort of Damascene conversion. ‘I’ve had a wake-up call. I wouldn’t like to go through that first month again when it was so painful.
‘And that’s an understatement – it was really bad. I literally couldn’t move for the first month and I felt really vulnerable.
Now in its 15th year, part of BGT’s attraction has always been that ominous moment of silence before Simon (second left) delivers his judgment on the acts
‘It was very difficult because Eric was six and how do you explain to a six-year-old that his dad can’t walk? It was horrendous.
‘But that was a motivation to get fit. I’m fitter now than I was five years ago.
‘Having the energy to keep up with Eric is vital to me. I mean, I played football with him yesterday afternoon and was wrecked after an hour.
‘But then I was thinking, “I couldn’t even kick a ball a year ago because of my back.” So the fact I’m now able to play football with him is brilliant. I’m lucky because he’s a happy little boy.
‘I try my best now to be more present with him and have more time with him. But ten years ago I wouldn’t have.
‘I would have been glad that I was working until 5am and getting up in the afternoon. I could never do that again.
‘Trying to eliminate stress from my life is key now otherwise there’s a real danger of burnout. I was like a hamster on a wheel, going to the office every day for ten hours, then you get home and you hit the phones.
‘Now it’s about not getting tired because if you’re tired, you can’t be good – at anything. With what’s happening in the world right now, you can’t take anything for granted.
‘The idea that anything could happen to your kids is what keeps me awake at night now.’
Having a child had never been on Simon’s agenda but then neither was marriage, so his proposal to Lauren in Barbados at Christmas in front of Eric and Lauren’s son from her previous marriage, 16-year-old Adam, came as a huge surprise.
Will marriage change him even further? ‘I think just being happy is the number one priority.’
Alesha agrees. ‘Being a present parent is a challenge, but everyone’s doing it brilliantly. BGT is a family affair.
‘The fact that we all have children around the same age who have known each other since babies bonds us. So does our love for our dogs, who also know each other.
‘I remember one audition when we all had our dogs and it was pure carnage in the best way possible.’
Simon has a giggle at this. ‘I love dogs, but mine are terribly behaved. Just getting them to sit is hard work.
‘But we have a dog act this year and he’s so unbelievable I’m convinced there’s a human inside him.’
So – in a nutshell, what’s the show’s secret? ‘Looking back on The X Factor, we tinkered around with it way too much,’ says Simon.
‘We’ve learnt with BGT that when something works, don’t change it. The only change we made was the golden buzzer which we added in series eight.
‘Otherwise, today, it’s still like watching the show 15 years ago.’
Amanda agrees. ‘It really is. It’s one of the few things that a family can all sit down and watch together and it’s a reflection of the great British sense of humour.
‘We’ve all said we felt the show has gone back to its roots this year as people have been stuck in their homes – the only places they’ve been able to perform is in their lounge or bedroom.
‘It feels more homegrown and a bit more rough around the edges. But Simon is the king of reinvention, so I’ll respect the day when he wants to get rid of me. But I’ll still be here because I’ll ignore him!’
- Britain’s Got Talent returns on Saturday 16 April on ITV and ITV Hub.
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