Bgt's simon cowell 'sobbed down the phone' to co-star after heartbeaking news

RENOWNED POP-SINGER SINITTA HAS SHARED HOW BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT JUDGE SIMON COWELL BROKE DOWN IN TEARS DURING A PHONE CALL IN THE AFTERMATH OF A RECENT BEREAVEMENT DANNY GUTMANN 17:00,

31 May 2025 So Macho singer Sinitta has opened up about her first phone call with Simon Cowell after the tragic death of One Direction singer Liam Payne last year. Simon and Liam developed a

close bond after first meeting on the X Factor in 2008. Although Liam only made it as far as the Judges' Houses, the teenager returned in 2010 where he was placed into the boy band One

Direction. Simon was joined by Sinitta in both 2008 and 2010 to watch Liam perform at the 65-year-old's home, first as a solo artist and then with One Direction, with the five

youngsters making an instant impression on the pair. One Direction eventually finished in third place, losing out to eventual winner Matt Cardle, but the band continued to enjoy huge

worldwide success in the years that followed under Simon's management However, despite the band's popularity continuing to rocket, they would eventually pursue solo careers.

Tragically, in October last year, Liam fell to his death at a Buenos Aires hotel after flying out to watch former bandmate Niall Horan in concert. Article continues below Now, during a

recent interview with Best magazine, Sinitta opened up about the heartbreak of learning of Liam's death. She said: "You never expect anyone younger than you to die. All I could

think about was Cheryl and Bear." Managing to put her own grief to one side, her thoughts turned to Simon, as she recalled speaking to the inconsolable judge: "Later that day I

reached out to Simon, and he was devastated. I hadn't heard him so upset since his mum died. He sobbed down the phone to me - it was hard to know what to say. It was brave of him to go

to that funeral and comfort Liam's parents." Simon and Sinitta first met in 1983 when Sinitta, then thought to have been 20 at the time, became his first signing as a record boss.

The pair would go on to have a 30-year love affair that saw the couple repeatedly make up and break up. In 2004, Sinitta made her first appearance on the X Factor when she joined Simon at

the Judges' Houses stage. She joined Simon in rejecting Liam in 2008 and recommending that he came back to the show at a later date. Two years later, she joined Simon at the Judges

Houses' phase once again and this time decided to progress Liam and his new bandmates, One Direction, to the next stage of the show. After finding huge success on the show, the band saw

their popularity sky-rocket in the years that followed before deciding to go their separate ways in 2016. But, whilst staying in Argentina in order to go and watch his former band mate,

Niall Horan, in concert, Liam tragically fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel. As the star's funeral in Amersham, Buckinghamshire followed, Simon was

amongst the mourners as he was seen comforting Liam's parents, Geoff and Karen. Article continues below Since then, Simon has returned to our screens as he has joined Bruno Tonioli,

Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden in judging this year's acts on Britain's Got Talent. The much-loved talent show will come to a close this evening (May 31) at 7 pm on ITV, as the

remaining acts vie for a chance to claim the top prize.