Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly say they almost quit Britain's Got Talent following a series of backstage disputes - among them Simon Cowell's persistent lateness. We went to LA to see him to tell him we were going to leave Britain's Got Talent because we weren't having a very nice time. The presenting duo previously touched on their meeting with Cowell in 2020 autobiography, Once Upon A Tyne. Donnelly added: 'He made a promise to us, that things would change and that we'd never feel like that again. McPartlin recently admitted he is the 'happiest he has ever been' after going sober following his 'tough' drink-driving ordeal in 2018.

Source: Daily Mail January 29, 2026 17:18 UTC