Ant and Dec Almost Quit Britain’s Got Talent Over Simon Cowell Feud – ‘We Felt Sidelined’
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the iconic duo known to millions as Ant & Dec, nearly walked away from Britain’s Got Talent after tensions with Simon Cowell reached a breaking point behind the scenes. Despite fronting the show since 2007, the pair admitted they felt “sidelined” and “undervalued” – and it nearly led to them quitting for good.
The trouble began when Simon Cowell’s chronic lateness and production decisions left the presenters feeling like their hard work wasn’t being reflected on screen. “It used to drive us mad,” Cowell himself admitted. “They had a real issue with me being late.” But it went deeper than that.
“We’d film interviews with all the acts, interact with everyone, deliver reactions and jokes like always – and then switch on the TV and find ourselves barely in the final cut,” Ant revealed. “We began to feel like we were wasting our time doing the auditions.”
Dec added that it wasn’t just about screen time – it was about respect. “We were doing the work, but we weren’t being seen. It was like we didn’t matter anymore.”
So serious was the situation that the pair requested a meeting with ITV bosses and told them they were seriously considering quitting. Cowell, realising the gravity of the situation, invited the duo to a dinner in Los Angeles.
“Simon was only one minute late – which, for him, is basically early,” Dec joked. “We sat either side of him and laid it all out – we weren’t being used, maybe it was time someone else took over, and we were ready to walk.”
To his credit, Cowell listened – and acted. “He was desperate to keep us,” Dec admitted. “And to be fair to him, things did change. He kept his word.”
The drama stayed hidden from viewers – but it was a near-miss that could’ve changed the face of one of ITV’s biggest shows.
