Simon Cowell left Britain’s Got Talent viewers unimpressed after he appeared to hint at the Queen’s death. You can see his comments here:
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As fans will know, the winner of Britain’s Got Talent gets the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance, but during last night’s episode, Cowell made a comment suggesting that the Queen might not be there.
He made the remark after an impressive performance from comedian Ben Nickless, who earned himself a standing ovation from judges.
Speaking to Nickless, Cowell said: “Ben, thank you for reminding us what… I know the money is important and the bragging rights of winning are important, but actually this year more than any - anyone who gets the chance to perform… please God, it is the Queen… it’s going to be a huge big deal.”
While there’s a good chance that Cowell was referring to the fact that the Queen hasn’t attended the Royal Variety Performance since 2012 - being replaced by other members of the Royal Family including Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge - some viewers thought the TV judge was implying the Queen was ‘on her way out’.
Taking to Twitter one person wrote: “Cowell just implied the Queen might be dead before the Royal Variety Show.”
Another said: “The awkward silence after Simon basically implied the Queen is on her way out… yeah that went down like a lead balloon.”
Someone else: "Crikey I don't think you should be saying that about the Queen, ‘please God’ what the hell?"
While a fourth posted: “Was Simon just trying to pre-empt the death of the Queen.”
The backlash came as the Platinum Jubilee celebrations drew to a close after four days.
To mark 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II on the throne, numerous events took place, kicking off with the Trooping the Colour on Thursday (2 June).
The Queen took to the Buckingham Palace balcony, alongside several other working Royals including son Charles, the Prince of Wales, and her grandson Prince William.
However, she was forced to pull out of a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday after experiencing ‘some discomfort’ during the Trooping the Colour.
On Saturday, royalists were delighted after a clip showing the Queen having afternoon tea with Paddington Bear kickstarted the Party at the Palace, featuring performances from Queen and Lee Mack.
Last night, the Queen made another balcony appearance before releasing a statement thanking all those who got involved during the celebrations and vowing to ‘remain committed to serving’ the public.
