FOR years, Simon Cowell refused to stray from his tried-and-tested wardrobe of white shirt, blue bootleg jeans and shiny black shoes.
So Britain’s Got Talent fans have been surprised to see the judge has shaken up his look this series with a range of modern clobber that shows off his physique.
Instead of linen and denim, Simon is showing off his body in tight compression tops and technical apparel.
Fellow panellist Amanda Holden has revealed that the reason behind the transformation is to compete with judge Bruno Tonioli.
Amanda said: “He has been doing his press-ups backstage. Simon’s impressive, he’s got some guns.
“He’s doing it to compete with Bruno! Bruno’s got his pecs, but he does his press-ups in the privacy of his own home. But I managed to video Simon doing it. I was like, ‘I’m not missing that. I’m putting that all over social media’.
“He’s embracing his sporty side this series. He’s been turning up in tracksuit bottoms and a compression top. But the compression top shows off his best bits. I think he’s quite proud of his pecs and his guns. Simon’s got the pecs factor.”
The show boss, who was also the main man on The X Factor, said with a laugh: “We all have our things we do before the show, right?
“I just do tons of push-ups every day to keep fit. We are kind of hanging around a lot backstage, so if I’ve got ten minutes, I’ll just do a few pushups.”
But Bruno has already rumbled Simon’s plan.
The former Strictly judge, who is enjoying his second series with the gang on ITV1, said:
“If you do press-ups before the show, it lifts your chest muscles. He’s trying to compete with me.
“I remember maybe 40 years ago we were in Majorca and he used to do it before going out. He had very long hair, beautiful long hair, and we were staying at my agent’s apartment with my friend.
“Before going out, he was on the terrace doing press-ups.”
IT’S an image that will strike fear in the hearts of a whole generation of The X Factor’s rejects.
On Saturday night, viewers will see a choir audition on Britain’s Got Talent – and they are all dressed as the head judge, complete with wigs.
Borrowing his former “uniform” of white shirt and aviator-style sunglasses, the Simply Simon ensemble perform in the hope of sailing through to the semi-finals.
A source said: “Let’s just say it was a fever dream for the other judges. But naturally, Simon was all smiles.
“He was as humble as ever about how great he looks.”
The fun begins on ITV1 at 7.30pm.
BRUNO credits the late Bruce Forsyth for his age-defying body.
At 68, he is as lithe and limber as he was on the Strictly Come Dancing panel in the Noughties – and has the dance show’s much-loved former host to thank.
Bruno told me: “I have my system that works for my body, because I know how it works. When I am not working, I do about an hour-and-a-half session every day, a mixture of resistance, stretching and yoga. When I’m working, every day I do some leg exercises, about 200 bicycle kicks, on the floor. The plank, the cobra and downward dog.
“Brucie was doing stuff like this into his eighties. He looked incredible, you have to do what works for you.”
He added of the BBC One dance contest: “I spent 15 years of my life there. I’m still doing the American one and I’m very passionate about it but sometimes you have to try something new.”
DANNII Minogue reckons her new dating series I Kissed A Girl will spark viewers’ “curiosity” about their own sexuality.
The BBC Three show, which launches on Sunday at 9pm, follows ten lesbians who are matched into pairs.
It is a spin-off from last year’s I Kissed A Boy.
They begin their relationship with a kiss before getting to know each other.
Dannii said: “There is a curiosity whether you are lesbian or not. People will be tuning in because they are curious, interested. They are questioning themselves.
“Or they might be thinking about a friend. There are a million reasons why it’s important.”
She added: “I identify as queer in a weird way . . . you girls are hot, you know it.
“It was an education for me watching the show, especially the lingo and all the terms.”
RALF Little is to be replaced as the lead detective on BBC One’s Caribbean police drama Death In Paradise by former EastEnders actor Don Gilet.
Don, who played killer Lucas Johnson, said: “It feels like a deeply loved and incredibly precious jewel has been placed in my hands.”
ROMAN Kemp has revealed he struggled to make it to the end of his quiz show The Finish Line.
In the latest series of the BBC daytime hit, the presenter had blood seeping from a new tattoo.
He told The Sun’s TV Mag, free with tomorrow’s paper: “There are ten episodes where I’m recovering from a stomach tattoo of a scorpion.
“When we were filming in Belfast, we had a day off and I went to get a tattoo. A lot of the time I’m trying not to laugh and people are going, ‘Are you all right?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah’. Blood and ink are coming through my shirt, but it’s OK.”
Roman returns with Sarah Greene for the BBC One game show, on Monday at 4.30pm.
