ITV bosses have banned the 66-year-old TV star after ‘leaving staff grossed out’

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Simon Cowell has been hit with a ban whilst filming for the ITV talent show(Image: ITV)

Simon Cowell has been hit with a ban during filming for the new series of Britain’s Got Talent. The TV star has returned to screens alongside fellow judges Amanda Holden, 55, Alesha Dixon, 47, and KSI, 32 for the 19th series of the variety talent show.

Whilst filming for the audition stages of the ITV show, Simon, 55, has been banned from chewing gum on set, which he recently admitted was his “most annoying habit”.

The 66-year-old music mogul had reportedly been sticking his leftover gum to the bottom of the judging panel’s desk, leaving staff ‘grossed out’. A source told The Sun on Sunday: “Simon is always chewing gum on set and has left producers with a real headache.

“They tried to implement the gum ban, but telling Simon ‘No’ is a task in itself.” However, things are said to have ‘got out of hand’ when Simon reportedly had a chewing gum wardrobe malfunction recently.

The insider said: “He didn’t have a clue he had gum stuck to his trousers as he walked out on stage in front of thousands of fans.” Now Simon, along with his fellow Britain’s Got Talent judges, have all been banned from chewing gum on set.

Simon recently admitted his that chewing gum was his “most annoying habit”. He told The Sun: “I chew gum really loudly and it drives everyone mad. It’s a chewing gum called CB12. It really irritates everyone.”

However, he has his own ideas on what is irritating which has led to thoughts on a new show. “I have a thing about smells and hygiene,” he said. “I want to make a new show actually called The Most Disgusting Show In The World to show people what we actually eat and breathe, and how disgusting we really are.

“Like, all the bed bugs in our beds, that freaks me out. Everything does. I’m allergic to them so I have to get my mattress and carpets steamed all the time to get rid of the dust mites or whatever.”

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Britain’s Got Talent has returned to screens(Image: ITV)

Meanwhile, judge Alesha Dixon recently admitted she feels part of a ‘dysfunctional family’ on Britain’s Got Talent, and there is “never a dull moment”.

Speaking to Ben Shephard and Angela Scanlon on This Morning about when she first signed up for the show, Alesha said: “Amanda phoned me up and said, ‘Right, we’re going to get together,’ and we made a pact to always have each other’s backs and to be role models.

“We’ve both got daughters, we both have strong female friendships. You know how important those female friendships are. I think from day one we just connected, and our friendship has really grown.”

Alesha said she also has a close bond with Simon Cowell, and praised him as a “great guy”. She added: “We were born on the same day, so we’re Libran. Very competitive. I love him, what a great guy. He’s just so funny, so naughty.

“We’re so lucky we’ve got this great chemistry, and over the years that has built and built. We are a very dysfunctional family at this point.”