Simon Cowell Officially OUT of BGT Special — 2020 Return Impossible?
Following his back injury from an electric bike accident last month, it appears that Simon Cowell's return to Britain's Got Talent will not be possible anytime soon.
Simon Cowell has always been the face of the famous talent show, so it feels incomplete without his presence. But it looks like the music mogul's absence will be extended for now as he continues to recover from his back injury.
Unfortunately, the 60-year-old host will also miss a special episode of "Britain's Got Talent" this year as the show forced to pull him out of the upcoming Christmas Special.
According to reports, Simon's back injury is still preventing him from going back to work. A source recently told "The Sun" that he cannot travel from his Los Angeles home to the United Kingdom to take part in the show's special episode.
"Simon hoped he'd be well enough to fly from Los Angeles to the UK for the special show, but he's had to pull out," the insider said.
The source explained that aside from his slow recovery, the coronavirus travel restriction also prevented the host from joining the Christmas special.
"Plus, the new lockdown measures - and him having to fly two weeks before the show so he could quarantine in advance - made it even more difficult for him to make the journey," the insider added.
Meanwhile, the source revealed that 31-year-old "Diversity" leader Ashley Banjo is expected to fill-in for Simon on the said episode. The Christmas special will be a non-competitive episode, which will feature "Britain's Got Talent" biggest stars showing off their skills to entertain the viewers.
"Ashley stepped in for Simon during the pre-recorded semi-finals and was a hit with viewers, so he was the first choice to step in again," the source said.
Despite his absence, the source confirms that Simon will not be totally sacked from the talent show and will be back as soon as he recovers.
"Simon will, of course, be across the show and what happens on it, but this is a massive blow for him as he adores," the insider added.
Suffering Major Loss
The BTG pull out came after the news that Simon Cowell reportedly suffered a major loss after deciding to sell his luxurious Beverly Hills property.
Despite receiving a whopping $14.5 million for the Trousdale Estate homes, the said property is still a massive loss for the music mogul.
According to "Variety," Simon bought the four-bedroom apartment in 2011 for $15.5 million. Although he never actually lived in it, the talent genius spent tons of money renovating and remodeling the house.
The outlet also reported that a Los Angeles-based dentist-turned-real estate investor, Alexander Soleimani, is the property's lucky buyer.
Simon also recently sold his primary Beverly Hills residence for $25 million. Meanwhile, his Hidden Hills ranch, which he recently purchased from his former protege, Leona Lewis, is also out in the market.
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