Talent judge decisions 'annoy' Cowell

Talent judge decisions 'annoy' Cowell
Talent judge decisions 'annoy' Cowell (Image credit: Ken McKay)

Simon Cowell is ready to quit Britain's Got Talent because of the poor quality of some of the acts being put through, according to the papers. The News Of The World reports that the mogul has had enough of Piers and Amanda giving the thumbs up to acts that he does not think are good enough for the next round. "Piers and Amanda take great joy in saying yes to performers they know Simon will hate but it hasn't gone down well," a show insider told the paper. He's annoyed they're putting through acts that shouldn't even be on TV, let alone in the final stages of the world's leading talent contest. Simon has just had enough of them messing about and not seeming to take it seriously." Saturday's show saw the judges clashing over two acts, boyband Connected and offbeat magic act Flute Magic. Simon eventually relented over the former but refused to give the nod to Flute Magic, in which entertainer Clive Hodgson performed illusions to a background of flute music from his wife Claire. "Every note was out of tune," he told the pair. "The act doesn't go together, it's like eating a banana and a tomato at the same time." However both Piers and Amanda gave the act the thumbs up, with Piers calling the performance "hypnotic". Simon has also vetoed ship entertainer Kevin Cruise and Lady Gaga impersonator Maxxie Oliver, both of whom have made it to the next round on votes from Amanda and Piers. The 50-year-old has hinted he will not be back for auditions next year, instead joining the show at the semi-final stage. "I will eventually leave but nothing is decided yet," he has said. "Who knows what will happen next year?"

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.