Britain's Got Talent viewers left shocked as crew step in after Simon Cowell ‘nearly killed’ by sledgehammer

Britain's Got Talent has showcased the weird and wonderful tricks and skills from people across the country for years, but viewers were shocked this week when one of the show's judges was apparently put in danger.

Simon Cowell has been a judge on BGT since 2007, and is known for his brutal, straight-to-the-point criticism of contestants.

But in a new episode of the ITV show, the 65-year-old record executive was made to become part of one of the episode's more extreme acts.

Cowell was made to be a part of Kranthi DrillMan's act, with the yoga instructor showing off his 'talent' of smashing a selection of fruits with a sledgehammer - while blindfolded.

Kranthi would later go on to smash watermelons with his head, but the first act had the audience looking on with baited breath.

The former American Idol judge went up on stage and laid down surrounded by watermelons, coconuts, and pineapples, while the contestant, who had travelled from India, smashed them around the businessman with no sense of sight.

As expected, a warning was displayed across screen, reading: "Do not try this at home."

Before Cowell made his way up, the eccentric yoga instructor had crushed a coconut and a can, slipping on stage, and hyped the crowd up, all wide-eyed.

Judges Bruno Tonioli and Alesha Dixon already pressed their buzzers before Cowell went up on stage.

Cowell was caught blindsided by the act (ITV)

One of his colleagues that helped to set the stunt up, told him: "It's slippery up there. Be careful it's very slippery," while another advised: "Simon, you need to stay completely still."

If that doesn't tell you to opt out of the trick, I don't know what will.

Cowell seemed happy to take part, before Kranthi began to smash the fruits around the seasoned judge with a cloth on his face, as judge Amanda Holden looked on in horror.

Dixon warned: "Don't move! [They] said don't move!"

Amanda Holden then pressed her buzzer as Kranthi got closer to Cowell's head, and then the last judge pressed his buzzer to make it four out of four.

Despite being out, Kranthi carried on to roars from the crowd, using his noggin to destroy a few watermelons, with Dixon shouting: "Are you joking? No, I think you've done enough!"

Cowell then admitted to hosts Ant and Dec that it was 'the scariest thing I have ever done', while Holden called the audition 'horrifying'.

"You know the feeling when you kind of think, somebody doesn’t want you on the show anymore? It was that," Cowell explained.

"It was the closest genuinely where I’m thinking they actually want to kill me."

Cowell was visibly in shock after the stunt (ITV)

He added that Kranthi 'got really nervous' after he slipped, and also added that St John’s Ambulance staff were on standby.

"It was so precarious because it was melon they were smashing. So the water was everywhere.

"So any kind of safety that there must have been on that stage was out the window. It was horrific."

Viewers took to social media to share what they thought of the extreme act, with one user writing: "He's absolutely Crazy, God Knows what Simon was thinking getting involved. Absolute madness."

Another said: "You know it's terrifying and bad when Ant and Dec tell Simon not to do it instead of joking around."

A third added: "If that wasn't staged then they have some serious thinking to do after the show.."