Bradley Walsh is reportedly set to step in for Simon Cowell on the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel.
According to The Sun, the presenter and comedian is being lined up for a guest judging stint after Simon underwent back surgery. Bradley would join KSI, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon on the four-person panel.
Simon has been replaced on Britain’s Got Talent before, but Bradley would bring a very different energy to the judging panel. His reported arrival would mark another change to the show’s familiar line-up.
Bradley Walsh’s guest judge plan
Speaking to The Sun, a source said: “Bradley will be a brilliant stand-in for Simon and will offer an old-school performer flavour, which will complement the rest of the cast nicely. He’s full of wisecracks and great one-liners, so should have the audience in stitches.
Bradley already has a connection to Britain’s Got Talent winners through his work presenting the Royal Variety Performance. The talent show’s winner traditionally appears in the production, which Bradley has hosted for years.
According to the report, Lee Mack and Greg Davies were also considered for the temporary judging role.
Why Simon Cowell is missing BGT auditions
The reported change comes after Simon’s recent back operation, which has seen him withdraw from this set of Britain’s Got Talent auditions.
Simon has previously suffered back problems following an electric bike accident in 2020. The injury required six hours of surgery and meant he missed that year’s BGT series.
Former winner Ashley Banjo stepped in to temporarily replace him on the judging panel.
Simon revealed in 2022 that the accident had been considerably worse than many people realised at the time. He said: “I kept a lot back. It was a lot worse than people thought.”
He also revealed that he had suffered long-term nerve damage and used lockdown to rebuild his strength by walking. Simon explained that the break from television work had helped with his recovery.
When Bradley Walsh could join the BGT auditions
Bradley is reportedly set to join the Britain’s Got Talent auditions at Blackpool Winter Gardens next month. He would appear alongside KSI, Amanda and Alesha while Simon sits out that part of filming.
Simon is expected to return to film more auditions in January.
ED! has contacted ITV for comment.
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