The 56-year-old and his fellow judges, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw, had to select their final three live for the first time ever, and Simon has admitted he felt the pressure.
Speaking to Digital Spy, he said: “It was hell. For the first time, I know what it feels like to be a contestant. At that stage listening to people boo you…”
The three contestants Simon is taking through to the live shows are Anton Stephens, Bupsi Brown and Max Stone – but he insisted Jennifer Phillips just missed out on a place.
Discussing his decision to make the judges’ houses stage live, Simon insisted that, while he doesn’t regret it, he’s still not 100 per cent certain it worked.
He continued: “I’m 100 per cent fine with my decision. This is the first time I’ve made a decision on Judges’ Houses watching it back as a member of the public.
“Normally I make it watching it back and I regret my decisions, so this was easier in a way. But we start again next week and they’ve got a point to prove so we’ll see if we’ve made the right decisions or the wrong decisions.”