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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Katherine Heslop

Amanda Holden says Simon Cowell teases her about their 'date' and claims he 'made her'

Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell's friendship has been full of sweet moments over the years, as the Britain's Got Talent co-stars have supported each other.

Fans may like to imagine a romance between the two, but Amanda, 52, has insisted in a new interview they've always just been friends, and credited the entertainment mogul for boosting her career.

A theatre and TV actress before she became a judge on Britain's Got Talent in 2007, Amanda found fame on Blind Date, going on to appear in The Grimleys and Wild at Heart, but it was the ITV talent show that made her a household name.

Now, Amanda has dished on her relationship with Simon, 63, who are the only remaining original judges.

Amanda Holden with fellow BGT judges Bruno Tonioli and Alesha Dixon (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

She described The X Factor judge as "godlike", insisting there's only ever been friendship between the two.

“He teases me it was a date, but it wasn’t," she told the Times, "We went out for dinner and I took my best friend."

The radio presenter went on: “I am just eternally grateful that BGT gave me a chance.

" Simon Cowell likes to say he made people like me and it’s true. When I joined BGT there was no social media, so it was my chance to show people who I really am.

Simon and Amanda have been on Britain's Got Talent since the beginning (ITV/ Mirror Grab)

"In life you can’t make everyone like you, but at least I got a chance to change some of the perceptions about me.”

Last year, Amanda vowed to keep wearing revealing outfits on Britain’s Got Talent, despite the torrent of complaints they receive.

The star's skimpy dresses are one of the biggest talking points, not least as some viewers deem them too risqué for a family show.

In the most recent series which aired she looked incredible in a tight latex number, and showed off her pins in an oversized suit jacket, while filming auditions for the upcoming season.

It was the Julien Macdonald creation she wore in 2017, with its neckline plunging all the way down to her navel, that sparked the biggest fan frenzy with Ofcom receiving 663 complaints about it.

Amanda Holden's racy Julien Macdonald dress racked up 663 complaints (ITV)

Meanwhile, the upcoming 2023 season has sparked complaints before it has even started airing after a prank left audience members in disgust.

New judge Bruno Tonioli was victim of a savage prank on the stage of the show as he was lured into a stunt which left him thinking he had shot Simon dead with a crossbow.

Footage has circulated via social media from the incident - with a warning about ‘sensitive content’ automatically generating over TikTok footage of the incident.

And while medics also rush to the stage, it seems the whole incident was nothing more than a prank - while the audience screamed in shock.

A BGT source defended the stunt, however, telling The Sun on Sunday : “This is a light-hearted skit in the show between the judges – and not meant to cause any offence at all.”

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