Simon Cowell has seen his fair share of bizarre and dangerous auditions on Britain’s Got Talent, but this year’s competition brought one of the most terrifying moments yet. 

The longtime judge revealed that during a stunt audition, he genuinely feared for his life 

when a contestant swinging a hammer nearly struck his head by just an inch.

The shocking scene unfolded while Cowell was lying on the floor, and the performer was using a mallet to smash watermelons around him. 

Things took a turn when the contestant slipped on the watermelon juice, almost bringing the hammer down onto Cowell’s head.

Simon Cowell on the Terrifying Moment

Recalling the experience during a Q&A session, Cowell admitted that for a moment, he thought the act was a deliberate attempt to remove him from the show.

“You know the feeling when you think somebody doesn’t want you on the show anymore? It was that,” he joked. “It was the closest I’m thinking genuinely, they actually want to kill me. I swear to God that’s how I felt.”

Cowell also described how the near-miss felt in real-time, saying:

“I could feel the wind from the hammer and the spray of watermelon juice on my face.”

Judges React to the Close Call

While Cowell was understandably shaken, his fellow BGT judges had mixed reactions. Amanda Holden confessed that while the incident was horrifying to watch, the show’s producers were laughing uncontrollably behind the scenes.

“They were howling with laughter!” she said.

Cowell played along with the humor, adding:

“They were like, ‘carry on!’”

Despite the chaotic nature of the performance, the show’s health and safety team intervened just in time. Cowell was relieved when they pulled the plug on the act.

“The safety guys, who are usually quite annoying, came and stopped him. Thank God. Saved my life,” he admitted.

Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli Were Genuinely Worried

Not all of Cowell’s colleagues found the situation funny. Alesha Dixon revealed that the moment made her realize just how much she cared about her co-star.

“We were genuinely worried,” she said. “Please don’t do that again. Draw a line under it.”

Bruno Tonioli, on the other hand, was more focused on how dangerously close the hammer had come to Cowell’s head.

“The hammer landed about an inch from his head!” Tonioli exclaimed.

Holden later pointed out that part of the issue was Cowell’s inability to stay completely still, making an already risky act even more dangerous.

Cowell explained:

“Because the guy was shaking and slipping. And smashing the watermelons.”

Emergency Staff Were On Standby

With such an unpredictable act taking place, emergency personnel were already prepared for the worst. However, as Holden jokingly pointed out, even with St. John’s Ambulance standing by, the outcome could have been disastrous.

“Even with St John’s Ambulance, I don’t know what they would have done!” she quipped.

The Most Shocking BGT Audition Yet?

While the judges admitted the moment was terrifying, Dixon acknowledged that often, the scariest auditions end up being the most entertaining to watch back.

“The hardest acts to watch are often the most entertaining when you look back,” she said.

This 18th season of Britain’s Got Talent is already proving to be as thrilling, unpredictable, and at times, dangerous as ever. The core judging panel, featuring Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and Bruno Tonioli, has returned for another year, while Ant and Dec continue as the show’s much-loved presenters.

With this jaw-dropping audition making headlines even before the season airs, fans are eagerly awaiting to see what other surprises are in store when Britain’s Got Talent returns on Saturday, February 22, at 7 PM on ITV1.

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