‘I won’t let public vote on finalists next year’
SIMON COWELL EXCLUSIVE
SIMON Cowell has moaned Britain’s Got Talent viewers vote for the wrong acts. A twist this series saw the public get full say over which acts made the final, but the move backfired after some of Simon’s favourites were axed. Previously the panel could override the public vote to send through acts they liked. In a shock rant, Simon said: “I don’t know who made the decision about the judges not having the casting vote. “I do think it will be the last time we do it as I do think we had some say in the first stage and I think you have to be consistent. “It is always worth trying new things but next year we’ll probably go back to what we normally do.” Simon said giving fans more power could damage the show’s reputation for creating stars. He said: “The public tend to go with their heart on these shows. “The contestants trust the show and they think they can get something out of it. But if you are not going to get anything out of it that is when the standard drops.” Simon and the other judges Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon had no tough decisions to make during last week’s live shows. Simon said: “On the live shows we actually don’t do anything. Amanda says it’s like a posh Gogglebox.
“It is like, ‘Why have I bothered to turn up?’ I don’t think we will be like this again.”
Simon was unimpressed when his golden buzzer act Sarah Ikumu, 16, did not poll enough votes – and he was powerless to help her.
He said: “I think Sarah needs to go into a West End show and get some experience. She’s too young at the moment to go straight into a recording contract. It is important how we help these young kids.
“They might not want a record deal as they might not work out as they want.”
Simon will be back on prime time telly when The X Factor returns in August but he insisted he had scaled back work commitments over fears for his health.
Simon said: “There was a time when I was doing three shows a week and it nearly killed me. I stopped.
“I was on one of these shows and I actually did not know what show I was on. That is when I stopped.”