Simon Cowell’s temporary replacement for Britain’s Got Talent filming has been revealed as the TV judge continues to undergo surgery.

Along with judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and social media star KSI, Cowell’s stand-in and fellow TV personality Bradley Walsh, known for hosting popular shows including The Chase, was seen arriving at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool for auditions.

Declan Donnelly, who presents the show along with his longtime professional partner Ant McPartlin, also turned up to the venue to cheers from fans who lined the streets.

It is believed that Walsh, 66, is stepping in solely for the audition process, with Cowell, 67, hoping to be recovered in time to return for the main show.

The official Britain’s Got Talent social media channels shared a humorous clip unveiling Walsh as the guest judge on Monday evening (12 October). “It’s time to put an end to those rumours… We’ve got a new Guest Judge on the BGT panel – it’s Bradley Walsh!” the caption said.

In the clip, Holden joked about the rumours surrounding the guest judge: “I heard that he’s gonna be on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury… with Mr Tumble.”

“I heard he made a diss track about me,” KSI complained, while Dixon claimed: “I heard that he’s a table tennis world champion.”

Walsh then popped up and quoted his famous catchphrase from The Chase: “Stop the clock, that is wrong.”

“It’s me, Bradley Walsh!” he announced.

Walsh also filmed a clip of himself on set on the first day of auditions. “It’s going very well, I’m enjoying it!” he told viewers. “And Amanda, Alesha and KSI are so lovely to work with.”

Cowell was also covered by a number of guest judges on sister show America’s Got Talent earlier this summer, including comedian Kenan Thompson.

The TV star has undergone a series of operations in recent years after breaking his back in an electric bike accident in 2020, which required six hours of surgery.

His injuries prevented him from appearing in the 2020 season of Britain’s Got Talent, when he was temporarily replaced by former winner Ashley Banjo.

In 2022, Cowell told OK! magazine that he was lucky to survive the ordeal, commenting: “I didn’t talk about it too much at the time. I kept a lot back. It was a lot worse than people thought. I had a lot of long-term nerve damage as well.”