Britain's Got Talent has been plunged into disarray after Simon Cowell sustained an injury, forcing the cancellation of a day of auditions and prompting a frantic effort to reschedule filming. The long-running ITV programme, now in its 19th series, had been set to film auditions in Birmingham on Thursday, but the entire day was scrapped after the 65-year-old judge suffered a blow to the head.
Show bosses are now scrambling to arrange a supplementary filming session to give the disappointed hopefuls their chance on stage. According to a source, the last-minute nature of the reorganisation is proving difficult, as such events normally require weeks of preparation. The insider said: “They feel so bad for all the people left disappointed by what happened last week and want to do what they can to make things right - even though it's going to take a lot of last-minute organising.”
Simon was forced to withdraw from filming at the end of last week, and former X Factor contestant Stacey Solomon stepped in to fill his seat on Friday. The 35-year-old mother of five shared her excitement on Instagram, posting a picture of her name on the iconic stage and describing the experience as “a dream”.
The injury, described as a “terrible headache and migraine” caused by an accidental bump, left Simon with a graze on his forehead. He later addressed the incident in a social media video, reassuring fans: “I’m alive and I’m in Birmingham, I just want to say thank you for all your get well messages.” He has previously spoken about suffering from debilitating migraines and sometimes wears red-tinted glasses to counter the effects of studio lighting.
This is not the first time Cowell has dealt with injury-related setbacks. In 2020, he broke his back in an electric bike accident at his Los Angeles home, requiring surgery and months of recovery. In 2017, he suffered a serious head injury after falling down stairs, which he later described as a reminder that “we’re not invincible”.
