Amanda Holden has expressed her concerns about Simon Cowell as they reunited in Blackpool this weekend to judge the first round of Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Holden, 53, highlighted that Cowell currently lacks “strong women” around him.
The judging panel for this week’s auditions included Cowell, 65, Holden, Alesha Dixon, and guest judge KSI. Notably, Cowell opted to leave his wife, Lauren, and their 10-year-old son, Eric, at home during this trip.
During a segment on Heart FM’s breakfast show, Amanda raised her worries about Cowell’s well-known issues with punctuality. Fellow presenter Jason ‘JK’ King asked, “Is he on time more nowadays or not?”
Amanda replied, “His lovely wife Lauren and [son] Eric are not here to kick him up the jacksie, so I’m going to say no. He’s got no strong women around him at the moment.”
When JK pointed out that Amanda herself is a key part of the Britain’s Got Talent team, she responded, “I’m not in his team. He’s not going to be up early; no one says no to him unless it’s Lauren,” as reported by the Mirror.
Simon has previously acknowledged his notorious tardiness, particularly after Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly mentioned it in their book, “Once Upon A Tyne.” They recounted their routine of waiting for Cowell to arrive on audition days. Simon commented, “They used to have a real issue with me being late, and it used to drive them nuts.”
In a playful exchange during the show, JK joked that Amanda could let her dogs loose in Simon’s room. Amanda enthusiastically replied, “Oh my gosh, he is going to die of joy; you know what a fan of dogs he is, especially rescues.”
Amanda and her family, including husband Chris Hughes and their two daughters, have a passion for animals. They recently adopted a rescue dog named Minnie from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The family also includes Rudie the dog and Muffy the cat.
In other news, Amanda disclosed that this season’s filming schedule for Britain’s Got Talent is quite intense, with auditions shifting to London after their time in Blackpool. She explained, “We’ve done it earlier [this year]. We’ve done Blackpool this week, and then we’re back in London in January. It will be full-on, and knowing Simon’s schedule, I won’t be in bed until midnight and then I’ll be up again in the morning.”
You can catch Amanda alongside JK on Heart Breakfast, brightening your weekdays starting at 6:30 AM.
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