Bradley Walsh steps in as Simon Cowell's 'Britain's Got Talent' replacement while mogul recovers from back surgery

From the Newshound archive · first published 14 October 2026.

Bradley Walsh, 66, has been confirmed as Simon Cowell's stand-in judge on 'Britain's Got Talent', joining Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI for auditions at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. Cowell, 67, is recovering from back surgery after pulling out of filming on both the UK and US versions of the show. Producers are reportedly rescheduling around half of the six Blackpool filming days to January so Cowell can still appear as head judge when the new series airs in Spring 2027.

Walsh broke the news with a behind-the-scenes clip, quoting his 'The Chase' catchphrase: 'Stop the clock, that is wrong — it's me, Bradley Walsh!'

Cowell first broke his back in 2020 after being thrown from an electric bike he was testing at his Malibu home.

Cowell is reportedly 'gutted' to miss auditions but the operation 'went well' and he is confident of returning for the main show.