Simon Cowell speaks out after new BGT judge Bruno Tonioli breaks rule on first appearance

Simon Cowell has revealed why he reacted how he did after Bruno Tonioli broke a Britain's Got Talent rule.

Britain's Got Talent returned to our screens on Saturday (15 April) and it didn't take long for a golden buzzer to be slammed - so little time, in fact, Ugandan dance act Ghetto Kids hadn't even finished their performance.

The 'golden' rule was broken by Bruno Tonioli - who's cha-cha'd his way over from Strictly Come Dancing to the ITV variety show - and fellow judge and BGT creator Simon Cowell has since opened up about the incident.

ITV

In an exclusive interview with Mail Online, Cowell said: "Well, that was pretty quick! It was the second or third day.

"I was laughing my head off thinking, 'You definitely haven't watched the show, have you?' And then I thought, 'Actually, this is brilliant because it has never happened before.'"

Cowell notes no one really seemed to care, neither the act nor him, everyone simply 'happy' because the dance troupe 'really did deserve' the golden buzzer.

Cowell resolves: "And just looking at Bruno's face, he was happy.

"Then when someone ran up to him and said, 'Well, you're supposed to do it at the end,' he was mortified!

"I said, 'It doesn't matter, Bruno. You just gave them the golden buzzer. Who cares?'"

ITV

Tonioli explained he'd been watching the act and simply thought the dance troupe was 'genius' and so 'had to press the golden buzzer'.

Although, he reflected: "Now, I hold my hands up, I realise now I was supposed to wait until after they'd performed to press it! I just felt it in my bones and went for it! "

Thankfully for Tonioli, despite his somewhat daunting reputation for being slightly stern, Cowell was 'hysterically laughing' when the Strictly Come Dancing judge turned around realising what he'd done.

"Honestly, I had no idea. Nobody really ever explained that process to me. All I knew was I had a golden buzzer, but they never told me when I was supposed to press it!"

ITV

Indeed, Tonioli had not only never been taught the golden buzzer etiquette, but in an interview on Lorraine, the dancer revealed he hasn't ever actually watched BGT before either.

Alongside pressing the gold buzzer during a performance rather than at the end, Tonioli also pressed a red buzzer at the end of the performance rather than while it was taking place.

Luckily for the judge, it was only the variety show's first weekend, so he's got plenty more episodes to get the hang of it.