Amanda Holden reveals Simon Cowell’s secret nickname that all the BGT judges call him

Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden says judges called him Darth Vader when he reminded them of the ruthless Star Wars character

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Amanda Holden stuns in a silver swimsuit in playful holiday shoots

Amanda Holden has revealed the secret nickname all Britain’s Got Talent judges gave Simon Cowell.

The 51-year-old shared that they call him Darth Vader – and have been doing it for years.

According to Amanda, friends consider the entertainment mogul, 62, like the iconic Star Wars villain to be notoriously ruthless.

Amanda and Simon have worked together for many years and have a close friendship.

She told Daily Star : “I’ve called him Darth Vader all my life!”

One Simon’s father is currently wearing a wrist brace after being injured in a bicycle accident.

Amanda thinks that makes him more like Darth Vader than ever.

“It’s like a Star Wars lamp-sword,” she added. “I wonder if it shines in the dark as he waves his hand around!

“He looks just like Darth Vader, so now he has the lightsaber that goes with the nickname!”

Recently, Simon admitted that he has become “scared” of working so much that he will get sick, and that he has now taken a more back seat on some of his business ventures.

The record executive is understood to have been desperate to spend more time with his young son Eric Cowell, eight, and prevent burnout caused by his hectic schedule.

The music mogul recently opened up about his anxiety with The Sun, revealing that while he’s still on shows like BGT, he’s sitting in the backseat after running them.

He explained in an interview, “I’ve decided that my main job will be on TV, not running a production company. It’s all just getting too much.”

The outspoken Simon added that he was “very worried about burnout”, assuring that he wasn’t feeling unwell, but was simply “afraid it was going to happen to him”.

The father-of-one added: “I strongly believe in doing something before something bad happens, instead of waiting for something bad to happen.”

He said he’s given a lot of thought to such an approach over the past two years and has seen close friends “burnt out”, and he added: “There will be no return from there.”

Simon’s new approach – which shows he’s still on shows like BGT, but in a less active role behind the scenes – means he’s on the panel for the show’s latest series .

He joined David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden on the ITV show, which returned with a new series last weekend – with the series now airing on Saturday nights.