Bradley Walsh has been confirmed as the guest judge replacing Simon Cowell at the latest Britain's Got Talent auditions in Blackpool, as the 67-year-old reportedly recovers from back surgery.
The TV presenter, actor, and comedian, 66, who is famed for hosting ITV quiz show The Chase, was seen at Blackpool's Winter Gardens for auditions, where he joined judges Amanda Holden, KSI, and Alesha Dixon.
Judges react to Walsh's arrival
In a video posted to the official BGT social channels, including Instagram, on Monday (October 12), the judges reacted to the news of Simon's replacement.
Original judge Amanda, 55, said: "Oh my goodness, have you heard the rumours about our Guest Judge on Britain’s Got Talent? I heard that he’s going to be on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury with Mr. Tumble."
YouTuber KSI, 33, added: "I heard he made a diss track on me…", while Alesha, 48, chimed in: "I heard that he’s a table tennis world champion…"
Bradley then appeared and announced, "Stop the clock, that is wrong. It’s me, Bradley Walsh."
Fans welcome the new judge
BGT fans were delighted to see Bradley as a judge, with one fan commenting: "OMG BRADLEY!!!", while a second chimed in: "Great choice! Looking forward to seeing him on the panel!"
A third simply commented: "Amazing x", while another exclaimed: "Fantastic! Looking forward to seeing BGT now."
"We love Bradley Walsh!" added one fan as another echoed the sentiment: "Yes, Bradley Walsh, my fav celeb crush, love him..."
Simon Cowell's back problems
In 2020, Simon suffered a nasty fall from a new electric bike at his house in Malibu and needed emergency surgery to fix his broken back.
He underwent a six-hour operation after the horror crash that almost left him paralysed, just missing his spinal cord. It didn't fix all of Simon’s back discomfort, and he has needed to return to see specialists ever since.
Simon was also treated for a concussion and a broken arm after the smash. The fall resulted in Simon having a metal rod put into his spine, amid multiple procedures and operations.
