Amanda Holden's Uncomfortable Stint in Simon Cowell's BGT Chair
Longstanding Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has candidly admitted she "hated" the experience of temporarily replacing Simon Cowell on the popular talent show. The 55-year-old television presenter and actor found herself in Cowell's coveted seat for two days during filming of the upcoming series, an arrangement she described as deeply uncomfortable.
An Unwelcome Promotion
Holden explained that Cowell's absence resulted from an accident where he fell down stairs and hit his head, necessitating her temporary promotion to head judge. Despite being the show's longest-serving panelist since its 2007 debut, Holden told The Mirror she felt "very outcast on the end" while occupying Cowell's position.
"I've been on the show the longest, so I understand why I probably need to sit in that seat, but when I was there, I felt very outcast on the end," Holden revealed. She emphasized that she "never" wants to take his seat again, describing how she had to keep "leaning to be a part of the conversation" with fellow judges.
Contrasting Support Systems
The actress highlighted the stark difference between their respective support systems during filming. "It's OK if your team are sitting to the left of you – Simon's got dozens of staff and family watching from the side and communicating with him," she noted.
By contrast, Holden lamented that her own team "all decided to eat my snacks and sit in the dressing room paying no attention to the show or me whatsoever!" This lack of support contributed to her negative experience in the temporary role.
Revised Judging Panel Dynamics
During Cowell's absence, Holden was joined on the panel by regular co-judge Alesha Dixon, new permanent judge KSI, and guest judge Stacey Solomon. Solomon represents one of Cowell's most successful television products, having risen to fame on The X Factor in 2009 where she reached the final before losing to winner Joe McElderry and runner-up Olly Murs.
Holden praised Solomon as "warm" and "super funny" on the show, noting she has remained "down to earth" despite fronting various BBC homemaker programs including Sort Your Life Out and Stacey Solomon's Crafty Christmas.
Britain's Got Talent's Evolving Panel
Britain's Got Talent has seen numerous judging panel changes throughout its history. Holden originally joined alongside Piers Morgan in 2007, with Michael McIntyre and David Hasselhoff replacing Morgan the following year. The 2012 season introduced Alesha Dixon and David Walliams to join Cowell and Holden.
Walliams quietly departed the show after audio leaked of him making vulgar comments about contestants. Bruno Tonioli took over in 2023 but has been permanently replaced by former guest judge KSI for the upcoming series due to scheduling conflicts.
Holden's Busy Television Schedule
Outside of Britain's Got Talent, Holden maintains a packed television schedule. She recently teamed with Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr to host various reality travel shows for the BBC. In January, the pair made headlines claiming they had turned down an opportunity to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.
While Carr stated they had "said no ages ago" to the BBC on Jessie Ware's Table Manners podcast, television presenter Richard Osman dismissed these claims as "nonsense" on his podcast The Rest is Entertainment. Osman asserted, "Of course, they didn't [turn it down]. It was never offered to them. I would be fairly confident in saying that it has not yet been offered to anybody."
Britain's Got Talent is scheduled to return with its new series later this month, premiering on Saturday 21 February. The upcoming season will feature Holden back in her regular judging position alongside Cowell, Dixon, and new permanent judge KSI.
