Britain's Got Talent 'fix' claims as Simon Cowell breaks silence (2025)

Max Fox in the audience on Saturday night's show is seen standing up and calling out to Simon, prompting accusations the whole thing was a set-up

Simon Cowell has offered to undergo a lie detector test to dispel any suspicions of a fix after an unexpected act wowed the audience during Britain's Got Talent. Max Fox, who was not scheduled to perform, directly appealed to Simon for a chance to showcase his talent.

Impressed by Max's bold move, the music mogul agreed to let him sing - "admiring" his audacity. The judge clarified that he was completely unaware of what was about to unfold.

Anticipating accusations of a setup, Simon, 65, stated: "I think I should be wired to a lie detector machine in the future to prove I'm speaking the truth because when something like this happens people instantly shout fix.

"In this case do you really think I could be bothered to plant someone in the audience? No. But that's exactly what happened."

This incident marks the first time a member of the ITV show's audience has successfully called out for an audition and been given the opportunity. Simon recounted how security initially reacted to Max's interruption, reports the Mirror.

"I knew it was genuine because of the way the security team reacted," Simon remembered. "He looked like he was going to try and break onto the stage or get to me. They were not twitchy and being hyper vigilant, tracking him. But I heard him say he was desperate to show us what he could do but hadn't managed to get a place in the auditions this year.

"I went over to the producers and I said, 'Pinky swear this is not a set up', because you can't break a pinky agreement. They said they had no clue about him. So we let him audition and it was an incredible moment. I just know people will say I fixed it, but I really didn't!".

Untrained singer Max, who began his career in holiday parks and later sang on the cabaret circuit in Blackpool, showed up at the BGT auditions at Blackpool's Winter Gardens intending to watch from the crowd with his husband Arturo.

Spotting a chance for stardom from just a couple of rows behind Simon, Max took the bold step of asking the big boss for an opportunity to perform. Taking the stage, Max, 35, delivered a stirring rendition of Frank Sinatra's My Way.

Simon shared his thoughts on the spontaneous performance, emphasising what makes BGT special: "I kind of admired him for taking his shot," he said. "I think we have to go into auditions expecting the unexpected. We can't have rules because this is the kind of show where anything can happen and we need to be able to adapt quickly."

The series has seen a trend of bending the rules, illustrated by the unprecedented number of golden buzzers used by judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli, KSI, along with hosts Ant and Dec..

This week, it was revealed that for the first time in the show's 18 series history, the iconic buzzer will now feature during the live rounds.

This gives one judge or Ant and Dec the power to send an act straight through to the grand finale each week, bringing them one step closer to securing the £250,000 cash prize and a spot on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.

Eight acts will compete each Saturday from next weekend (April 26). Alongside the buzzer, the public will also have the chance to vote for their favourite act of the night, who will secure a place in the live final.

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