Britain’s Got Talent auditions resume as Simon Cowell replaced after Liam Payne heartache

Britain's Got Talent auditions have resumed after it was briefly halted in the wake of Liam Payne's tragic death in Argentina but Simon Cowell has stepped down

Britain's Got Talent auditions have resumed after it was briefly halted in the wake of Liam Payne's tragic death.

Earlier this week, the former One Direction singer died at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Local police said the dad-of-one fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel before medics confirmed his death.

Judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and special guest judge KSI gathered in Blackpool Winter Gardens last week to mark the new series getting underway ahead of airing next year but the show confirmed they postponed the auditions following his death.

It was also reported Simon was taking a break from his duties on BGT, with judge Bruno Tonioli reportedly replacing him. In new pictures, Bruno was seen arriving at this weekend's auditions after the brief pause. Bruno looked solemn as he waved at the cameras before heading into the building.

In pictures shared on online, he sported a white t-shirt and kept warm in a black letterman jacket. He also wore aviator sunglasses as he arrived for the latest round of auditions. Earlier this week, The Sun said Bruno would be replacing Simon while he took time away from the show.

"This news has hit Simon incredibly hard - he is utterly shocked and devastated," an insider told the publication. "He adored Liam, and was close to his family with whom he is sure to reach out privately. "He didn't feel it was right to continue with filming BGT, and when it resumes on Saturday, does not feel he'll be in the right headspace to continue. All the judges and production crew are being hugely supportive," they added.

After Liam's death was announced, a source told the Mail about Simon's heartbreak. They claimed: "Simon is gutted with the Liam news. Simon has a son that he loves more than anything and in essence the boys from One Direction were his first set of sons, he spent so much time with them, and he loves all of them."

Simon first met Liam when he was just 14, and encouraged him to audition again two years later. The insider said that Liam was an "important person" to Simon, and the music mogul is "sick" over what's happened.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.