Simon Cowell responded to rumours that Max Fox's Britain's Got Talent audition was a set up during an appearance on ITV's This Morning
Simon Cowell has addressed speculation surrounding Max Fox's performance on Britain's Got Talent, denying that it was pre-arranged.
The television stalwart gave his side of the story while speaking on ITV's This Morning on Friday (25 April), joined by his fellow BGT judge Bruno Tonioli. In conversation with presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, the duo provided a teaser for the semi-finals.
Last week's BGT instalment showcased a dramatic moment when Max emerged from the audience seeking Simon's approval to perform - a move that seemingly caught the judge off guard.
Despite his initial hesitation, Simon conceded, only to be astounded by Max's soul-stirring rendition of Frank Sinatra's classic My Way, which led Amanda Holden to award him her cherished golden buzzer.
Even though the audition has made waves across social media platforms, the authenticity of this unexpected stage moment has been questioned by some viewers, reports the Mirror.
Addressing those suspicions on This Morning, Simon refuted the claims of any behind-the-scenes orchestration, expressing genuine surprise over how the events unfolded.
"On my life, I swear to god that was not a set up," he asserted. "I honestly thought, 'Okay, someone has put him there' and I said to the producers, 'Come on, it's a set up, right?'"
He continued: "I just thought we'd never show it, but he wants to sing in front of me and I thought, 'Why not, just let him do it'... I was laughing so much when the golden buzzer happened, I said, 'No one is going to believe this, no one is going to believe it. They are going to think it was set up."
Simon was resolute in his intentions to dispel any doubts, boldly declaring: "I'll take a lie detector test on live TV."
Bruno enthusiastically echoed the sentiment: "That's what gives it so much energy because we never know what's going to happen!"
Earlier in the week, Max appeared on This Morning to discuss his unexpected audition, which was broadcast on ITV1 on Saturday, 19 April.
In conversation with hosts Josie Gibson and Andi Peters, Max further confirmed the spontaneous nature of his audition, insisting it hadn't been orchestrated by the television producers.
"It wasn't a set up... I get all these reality TV shows that go around, and there are so many things where storylines are set up, but this wasn't one, and that's all I can say," he stated.
