BGT's Simon Cowell denies having a gastric band as he reveals secret to his weight loss.

Simon Cowell has high hopes for the new crop of impressive hopefuls on the upcoming season of. However, the outspoken judge says the auditions didn't fill him with confidence at the start.Cowell — who rocked a brace bandage on his hand from when he broke his arm earlier this year — spoke with ET's Matt Cohen on the red carpet at the Season 17 Kick-Off event at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Wednesday, and opened up about his initial misgivings over the level of talent this season.«When [taping] first started — you know, I am always expecting, always hoping, the show can or should should be better year on year.

Britain's Got Talent star Connie Talbot looks words away from the gap-toothed young girl who auditioned on the ITV show back in 2007.The 21-year-old musician logged into her Instagram page on Tuesday (April 19) to share a "classy toilet selfie" with her 300,000 followers.She posed up a storm for the camera as she took a snap wearing a black leather jacket and with a stylish top underneath.Connie styled her tresses in loose curls and enhanced her natural beauty with minimalistic makeup.The singer is not one to shy away from the camera and often updates her Instagram grid with some glam snaps.

Baywatch babe and Hollywood star Carmen Electra has had a number of high profile romances throughout the years, including with X Factor star Simon Cowell.The actress dated Simon for over six months in 2012 - but he is not the only famous face to have been in a relationship with Carmen since she burst onto our TV screens in the early nineties.Throughout her career, Carmen has also dated rockstars, world famous musicians and huge names from the world of sports - with her romances featuring in documentaries including 2020's The Last Dance.On Carmen's 50th birthday (April 20), Daily Star takes a look back on her wild love life.Long before she was Baywatch and silver screen icon Carmen Electra, Tara Leigh Patrick was an aspiring actress who moved to Minnesota in search of fame and fortune after spotting an ad for an all-girl group being put together by Purple Rain singer Prince.It was him that gave the actress the new name of Carmen Electra, after he spotted her talent during the audition.Not only did Carmen credit Prince with kick-starting her career, the two also dated for a period of time, but she chose to end the relationship when she wanted to stay in Los Angeles, telling E! Online: "He controlled everything, but I loved that about him. How I dressed, the music, hairstyles.

Britain's Got Talent contestant Ferdinand Rennie has said he was stitched up after Simon Cowell said he "murdered" his favourite song.The Scot is at the heart of another "fix" row on the hit ITV talent show after his performance of Never Enough from The Greatest Showman divided judges.The 62-year-old told The Sun that his performance was plagued by sound issues, he was kept waiting for 10 hours before his audition and was convinced by the programme's producers to sing a different version of the song than he had planned to perform.His audition was immediately followed in the edited show by a performance by professional singer Loren Allred, who recorded the vocals for the film's soundtrack.Austrian-born Ferdinand told the paper that he had asked the show's producers if he could perform the hit in ballad form but they persuaded him to sing his dance version instead. His cover was enjoyed by the audience and judges David Walliams and Amanda Holden but Simon said he had ruined his favourite song.

Simon Cowell has opened up about how bad his horror e-bike crash really was two years ago and how he now has long-term nerve damage. The music mogul and Britain's Got Talent head judge crashed his bike in Malibu, California, breaking his back - and has confessed it was "much worse" than what people thought at the time. Simon, 62, also admitted that he doesn't really talk about it and "kept a lot back" from the public.

X Factor legend Wagner has said Simon Cowell becoming "Mr Nice Guy" was one of the things that killed the show.The ITV singing competition was pretty much axed in 2021 after 17 years, with ITV saying at the time that there were "no current plans" for another series.Singer Wagner - who was a contestant on the programme back in 2010 - has now said he thinks Simon's move away from being TV's Mr Nasty was one of the reasons its popularity waned.He told the Daily Star's Carly in Convo he thought the fact people don't buy records any more was also a factor."The other thing which I think contributed to the show losing its popularity was the fact that Simon had to become Mr Nice Guy," he went on."Before he would say horrible things to people singing badly."But now more and more the world is becoming a very boring place, where you have to be politically correct at all times."Wagner, 65, said Simon "had to change" as the landscape changed but that it probably had an impact on the talent show's ratings."People enjoyed watching him say horrible things, which is wrong," he chuckled."That was something that I think attracted people to watch the show."The singer made it all the way to the quarter finals in 2010 as part of the Over 28s category, which was mentored by Louis Walsh.And he said he had a blast being part of the contest, which was won by Matt Cardle that year.Since then, the Brazilian-born singer - who was regarded as something of a novelty act - has been making a living selling video messages to eager fans and practicing karate to keep fit."It's amazing how time flies and how things that happened a long time, sometimes they feel like they were yesterday," he said."I loved being there," Wagner added, saying he loved Simon and

Britain's Got Talent fans think they have worked out who is behind the ITV show's "invisible" act called The Phantom after they auditioned on Saturday. During the opening episode, The Phantom left the judges — Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams — mystified with their mind-bending magic.

Britain's Got Talent has responded after fans were left frustrated to learn that Axel Blake, who got a golden buzzer on Sunday night, already has an Amazon Prime show. Comedian Axel Blake charmed the judges with his witty jokes and upbeat personality, so much so that Simon Cowell hit his golden buzzer, sending the act straight to the live semi-finals. Despite his humble discussion about his career, some viewers were unhappy to discover that Axel is already a successful comedian and even has his own stand-up TV show.

Scots BGT contestant Ferdinand Rennie has offered to perform his high energy dance version of Never Enough at Simon Cowell's wedding after his online audition had over 200,000 hits.

Simon Cowell and his fiancée Lauren Silverman threw the most impressive Easter party for their family and friends at their Los Angeles mansions – and it included a fun Easter egg hunt and a water slide!MORE: Inside Amanda Holden's cosy Easter weekend with Simon CowellSeveral of the lucky guests, such as Terri Seymour and Amanda Holden, couldn't help but share videos and photos from the occasion, and fans were treated to a rare family photo of Simon and Lauren alongside their two children, Eric and Adam.WATCH: Simon Cowell's teeth before and after: What has BGT star done to his teeth?The couple, who became engaged last year after eight years together, share a son Eric, eight, whilst 16-year-old Adam is Lauren's son from her marriage to Andrew Silverman.READ: BGT viewers praise young boy after he makes cheeky jibe at Simon CowellRELATED: Simon Cowell's multi-million dollar engagement ring for Lauren Silverman is a total show-stopperIn the adorable snap, which was taken in Simon and Lauren's garden, the four can be seen posing together, with Lauren positioned between Simon and Adam, and adorable Eric posing in front of his mum and brother. The family looked happy as they posed for Terri at their LA mansion"Thank you for a beautiful day @simoncowell #laurensilverman.

Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden stole the show as she finally returned to her Heart FM presenting job in London after the Easter holidays.Amanda, 51, looked gorgeous as she donned an orange and white patterned dress for her return as she shared her snaps on social media.The blonde bombshell showed off her toned figure in the long sleeved outfit, which featured a short hemline and black piping around the material.Amanda left her fans hot under the collar as she bounced on a big blue ball in the lavish offices as she recorded the video on Instagram.The star risked a racy wardrobe malfunction as the skirt struggled to protect her modesty in the steamy video.Amanda's long legs also took centre stage as she completed the look with strappy black heels, with her toned pins being highlighted in the glam footwear.The BGT judge finished the look off with simple but elegant make-up as she let her blonde hair fall in glamorous curls around her shoulders.Amanda recently spent the Easter holidays on a lavish trip, as she went to Disney World in Florida for a fun week with her family.She then headed over to California, sharing a racy bikini snap as she enjoyed the sunshine on the beach in Santa Monica.Amanda then used her free time to catch up with her good friend Simon Cowell, who she recently filmed the latest auditions for BGT with.The pair were joined by Joan Collins as they went for a lavish dinner in London together to mark a mutual friend's birthday, sharing a sweet snap on social media.Amanda certainly made the most of her holidays, but it is business as usual as she is back to the grind of working this week.She is also appearing on the new series of BGT, which returned to screens last weekend, as she, Simon, David

Fans of Britain’s Got Talent delightedly saw the show return to our TV screens over the weekend after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s been an even longer break for boss Simon Cowell, 62, after he suffered a serious bike injury that left him unable to join the judging panel back in 2020. Previous winner and Diversity star Ashley Banjo stepped into Simon’s judging chair and, although Simon was pleased with Ashley’s performance, he’s happy to be back in the judging seat himself.

BRITAIN'S Got Talent returned for its second instalment yesterday but the show has been hit with 'fix' claims after Simon Cowell dished out his golden buzzer. While Simon was blown away by Axel's gags about the pandemic and his pregnant girlfriend, some viewers were up in arms that he got the coveted golden buzzer. One branded the decision a fix, pointing out that Axel already has a stand-up show on streaming service Amazon Prime - just as last night's golden buzzer, singer Loren Allred, was already a famous singer.

Amanda Holden shared a sweet snap of her and her good pal Simon Cowell relaxing in their loungewear.However, it appears some fans didn't recognise Britain's Got Talent boss Simon when they saw him in the photo.It comes after Britain's Got Talent returned with its highly-anticipated 15th series on Saturday (April 16).The hit ITV talent show saw judges Amanda, Simon and their co-stars David Walliams and Alesha Dixon return to the panel as they try to find the most talented acts from around the country.Glam Amanda is good pals with Simon and his soon-to-be-bride Lauren Silverman, and they've been spending lots of time together over the Easter break.Amanda took to Instagram on Monday (April 18) with a cosy photo which showed her sitting next to Simon, and both of them looked comfy in their loungewear co-ords.The pair's close bond was clear to see as they looked relaxed in each-other's company in the living room.Amanda loves to wow fans with her glamorous outfits on BGT, and sometimes her dresses are rather racy.However, this time she was looking chic in a baby-blue sweatshirt and matching-colour joggers.Simon was kicking back on the sofa with the TV remote at the ready, wearing a grey top and joggers.They were also joined by a gorgeous Yorkshire terrier, which Amanda gave an affectionate stroke.Captioning the snap, Amanda wrote: "#PrisonChic Easter snugs [hatching egg emoji] Hope you all enjoyed the return of @BGT?"Amanda's fans were thrilled by the photo, but it's clear some didn't recognise Simon.One wrote: "Is that a Simon Cowell look a like?".Another commented: "I had to look twice to see if it was him."A third pondered: "Who is she sat with? Is that her husband? Cute doggo!"A fourth added: "Oh my goodness it is.

Amanda Holden celebrated Easter over in Los Angeles alongside her family and close pals, including Simon Cowell and his fiancée Lauren Silverman. The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, has been soaking up the sun in Santa Monica, California, along with her two children, Lexi, 16, and 10 year old Hollie. She's been busy documenting her trip over on Instagram, where she's shared a series of snaps of herself soaking up the sun by the pool.

Britain’s Got Talent judges have come and gone, Amanda Holden has warned Simon Cowell she will never get replaced on the panel.  The actress and presenter, 51, has sat beside Simon, 62, since Britain’s Got Talent began in 2007, initially alongside then TV judge Piers Morgan.  Since then the likes of Kelly Brook, David Hasselhoff and Michael McIntyre have all joined the panel and left again, while Alesha Dixon and David Walliams have been firm fixtures for 10 years.

Amanda Holden was filmed having the time of her life a silver swimsuit as she celebrated the Easter weekend in style. Amanda, 51, took to Instagram to share a Boomerang video of herself enjoying the Californian sunshine by the pool, and danced on a sun bed as she was filmed.To complete her fabulous look, the mum-of-two held on to a metallic pink throw, which flailed around behind her as she danced, and a pair of sunglasses as she had her blonde tresses in bouncy waves. Amanda also shared a snap of herself relaxing by the pool at what’s thought to be at her co-judge Simon Cowell’s California-based home.

Britain's Got Talent fans were left confused on Sunday's episode over Simon Cowell's "homegrown" talent comment after the ITV show's golden buzzer was used to send through a US pro to the semi-finals. The hit ITV talent competition returned to ITV over the weekend to celebrate the long Easter weekend and after Brit Kidz performed a routine inspired by different BGT acts, Simon gushed about the group being "homegrown" talent.

Amanda Holden oozed elegance as she posed next to the stunning Lauren Silverman. The friends have been enjoying a sun-soaked Easter getaway in California along with their families, hosted by Simon Cowell in his lavish Santa Monica mansion.

Simon Cowell has been spotted out and about on his bike after admitting his son was fuming when he cycled again despite his accidents.The Britain’s Got Talent boss looked to be relaxed as he cruised through Malibu over the weekend with a cigarette in hand while he went out for a ride in the sun.He kept things casual in blue sweatpants, trainers and a black coat, completing the look with a pair of shades.His trip out comes after he admitted Eric, eight, was livid at him for getting back on his bike following some nasty accidents.The 62-year-old star hasn’t been deterred despite breaking both his back and arm in the space of 18 months recently after crashing on his E-bike.In January, he was rushed to hospital after crashing his bike near his West London home, which saw him break his arm and suffer a concussion after flying over the handlebars and landing in the middle of the road.That incident came more than a year after the TV mogul broke his back in a previous accident in Los Angeles, and his boy was ‘so mad’ when he saw his dad about to get on his bike, but Simon has no intention of ditching his love for cycling.‘I actually went on one the other day, I was somewhere where I wasn’t on a road and I took my bike with me, and I actually thought, “I need to get back on my bike”, he said.‘Then Eric saw me and went crazy! He was so mad, he made me walk it.’He added to the Daily Mail Online: ‘I’ve always been very accident prone! Luckily it wasn’t too bad so you learn something from it. But you won’t get me off the bike.‘We were at a hotel so he made me walk it back to the restaurant and then to our room.

Simon Cowell is well known to have undergone an incredible body transformation that saw him lose stacks of weight.Simon managed to lose four inches around his waist ahead of the national Covid-19 lockdown, something he managed to maintain the whole way through the pandemic.The transformation has left him looking slender after the health kick - the difference between pictures of him before and after the change is clear to see.Simon’s big pound shed came after he vowed to never again touch three food groups common in many people's diets.Read on to find out what they are.Simon Cowell vowed to never again touch gluten, dairy or sugar for the rest of his life, following his back-breaking fall from his electric bike. Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “Cutting all that out is what has made a difference, genuinely."Ironically I was out on my bike as my exercise.