She’s been one of the most famous faces on TV for over two decades, and with exciting new projects already under her belt for the year ahead, Amanda Holden remains hot property for entertainment bosses. And none so more than her close pal, Simon Cowell, who scooped up Amanda for Britain’s Got Talent in 2007.
But while she has famously stayed loyal to the family-favourite talent show, an insider now tells Closer that Amanda’s sudden boost in popularity – which has reportedly seen her touted for other rival primetime shows – has led to a stand-off with Simon.
A source says, “It’s no secret that Simon likes to keep his talent judges on their toes – often switching people around to spice things up – but Amanda doesn’t want to play that game anymore.
“In fact, she wants to reverse the power structure and has recently been reminding Simon of how loyal she’s been to him and to Britain’s Got Talent over the years, especially when she’s had several other offers on the table. The fact is, Amanda is hot property right now and she’s letting Simon know it.
“Amanda wants Simon to know that she will be loyal to him if he is loyal to her – she wants them to make a pact and right now is the perfect time to do it. She’s making it clear that she is one talent judge that he shouldn’t be playing musical chairs with.”
Simon, 64, and Amanda, 53, have always been close friends, with Amanda telling Myleene Klass on her podcast last September that the music mogul has been a “prominent male” in her life, alongside husband of 15 years, Chris Hughes.
Yet while Amanda – currently joined by fellow judges Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli – has safely kept her seat on the BGT panel for 17 years, Simon has previously hit headlines for taking “friends” under his wing before brutally axing them.
In 2007, he sacked long-term pal Louis Walsh from The X Factor, before Cheryl suffered a similar fate on the US version in 2011 – famously sending Simon a text that read “f**k you, I hate you”.
Nicole Scherzinger and close pal Paula Abdul’s jobs on The X Factor US were also axed in one fell swoop in 2012, although Simon, who created the talent show, denied he had any involvement.
And last year, Amanda Holden found herself at the centre of another toxic feud between Simon and former BGT judge David Walliams, when the latter launched a legal battle against the show after a recording of him referring to an elderly contestant as a “c***” and insulting another female performer emerged.
And before David – who Amanda had worked alongside for a decade – and BGT reached a settlement last November, a source previously told Closer how Amanda had made her stance very clear to Simon.
They said, “While Amanda has understandably been feeling incredibly torn between the pair, she has told Simon in no uncertain terms that she won’t be pressured into picking sides.”
And now the source says she’s warned Simon – who was also reported to have recruited Alesha to the panel in the hope of creating a rivalry with Amanda, who did not rise to the bait – not to pull any tricks on her.
They add, “Simon likes to make shock moves when it comes to who works on what show, but Amanda has told him in no uncertain terms that he needs her, and that if she were to leave, it would be a big blow to the show.
“Simon has always believed that no one is irreplaceable, but even he can see that Amanda is killing it right now in her career.
“Some of Simon’s team think that she could finally be the one judge to really stand up to him and give him a run for his money. She knows it’s risky and a big power play, but Amanda has basically given Simon a bit of an ultimatum.”
Amanda has built up an impressive roster over the past year, making her own Sky documentary, SEX: A Bonkers History, last year, before starring alongside close pal Alan Carr in the second series of their BBC show, Amanda And Alan’s Italian Job, which launched last month.
Last week, it was also revealed that Amanda has been head-hunted for Ru Paul’s Drag Race, with a TV insider saying, “Amanda is perfect for the show because she’s glamorous and has a brilliant sense of humour.”
Amanda has previously said, “He [Simon] has sort of watched from the sidelines, taking the credit for every single bit of success I’ve ever had. [He says], ‘Well, it’s down to me. I put you on Britain’s Got Talent, I showed the world’.”
But now the mum-of-two has made it crystal-clear that she is able to land some of TV’s biggest roles without the influence of Simon’s clout in TV circles.
And the source adds, “She’s keeping him on his toes for once, as she is being courted all over the place.
“She’s getting to a point where she wants to feel a bit more valued than she has in the past – and Simon can see that she really is a triple threat.”