Music mogul Simon Cowell came close to joining the brutal Channel 4 reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, but was stopped in his tracks by none other than his friend and former X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan — who bluntly told him he’d “literally die” if he tried it.
The 65-year-old X Factor creator had been tempted by the idea of testing his mental and physical strength on the infamous SAS-style course, especially after backing Lucy’s decision to take part in the upcoming 2025 series. But Lucy, 34, quickly shut down his ambitions.
“He said, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll have a go at it,’” Lucy told The Sun. “I was like, ‘Simon, you would literally die!’”
Cowell has long been known for his sharp tongue and judging skills — but military-style endurance training in freezing water and extreme terrain? Lucy didn’t think so.
Still, Lucy admitted Simon was enthusiastic about her participation.
“He thought it was a great idea, me doing the show. He knows I love being outdoors. We do a lot of shooting air rifles together, so this kind of thing is my vibe.”
Though Simon won’t appear in combat gear, fans will see him on the show — briefly — when he calls Lucy to offer some encouragement. That call, however, didn’t go as planned:
“The DS [Directing Staff] hung up on him. He was like, ‘I’ve never been so angry!’” Lucy laughed.
As for Simon’s partner Lauren Silverman, Lucy thinks she might just have what it takes.
“I said to her at dinner, ‘You should have a go.’ She could do it — it would be funny!”
The seventh series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins kicks off on Sunday, August 3rd at 9pm, with an eclectic and star-studded cast including:
• Lucy Spraggan
• The Traitors winner Harry Clark
• RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Bimini
• Love Island’s Chloe Burrows and Adam Collard
• Rapper Lady Leshurr
• Boxer Conor Benn
• S Club 7’s Hannah Spearritt
• Footballers Troy Deeney and Adebayo Akinfenwa
• Strictly star Tasha Ghouri
• Louie Spence, Rebecca Loos, and author Michaella McCollum
Get ready for a wild, emotional, and physically punishing season — just don’t expect to see Simon Cowell crawling through mud anytime soon.
