Simon may be forced to let one of his judges go
With the final of the 18th series of Britain’s Got Talent fast approaching, insiders say that Simon Cowell is considering a big switch up. After fans voiced their unfavourable feelings toward judge Bruno Tonioli, Simon is apparently weighing up whether to replace him with popular influencer KSI.
The internet seems to have been won over by KSI, 31 – who guest-judged on the show during the auditions – and fans appear to prefer him over 69-year-old former Strictly judge Bruno, who’s occasionally annoyed viewers, who have lashed out at his ‘woeful’ and ‘over the top’ performances. One X user wrote, ‘Anyone want Bruno replaced with KSI permanently or is it just me? Bloke does my absolute head in,’ with another commenting, ‘Was hoping Simon would have fired Bruno and brought in KSI for the remaining live shows.’ However, not everyone’s been critical, as one fan chimed in with, ‘Bruno, love you on BGT! Such a bright light, pure joy.’
An insider tells Closer, ‘With The X Factor no longer on air, BGT has become Simon’s baby, and he is obsessed with the show. Bruno’s currently in his third year as a judge, but there are already rumours that Simon is growing a bit fed up with his antics and recently summoned him to his house in the Cotswolds for a meeting. Simon’s said to be keen to get KSI signed on for next year’s series.’
Bruno isn’t the only reason Simon, 65 – who has been a judge on the show since its debut in 2007 – is said to be unhappy with the live shows. In the first live semi-final, eight-year-old magician Teddy Magic was unable to perform due to last-minute issues with his act. As if that wasn’t enough chaos for one episode, dance troupe The Blackouts also suffered a technical difficulty and Ant and Dec were forced to quickly chat to the judges so they could prepare themselves.
For well-known perfectionist Simon, these slip-ups are annoying him no end, and our source says they’re intensifying the pressure on him to make the next shows better than ever.
The insider says, ‘Simon doesn’t like it when the show doesn’t go to plan – he hates mistakes. He’ll spends hours editing the audition shows to ensure he gets the very best version. His fiancée Lauren has admitted that she’s “in awe” of how many hours Simon spends editing – he won’t let them go until he is sure he has the very best version. With viewing figures already up on last year’s series, Simon must ensure the rest of the live shows go smoothly.’
And with his 11-year-old son, Eric – whom he shares with Lauren – showing a huge interest in the show, it’s even more important to Simon that it’s the best it can possibly be.
‘Eric loves BGT,’ the insider confirms. ‘He’s already a keen musician and drummer, practising his skills for hours at the weekend at home. It’s his favourite programme.’
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