Simon Cowell may be known for his straight-talking and brutal honesty at times, but the music mogul is a huge softie underneath it all. The dad-of-one broke down in tears after being reunited with former Britain's Got Talent contestant Julia Carlile at the weekend, two years after he paid for her life-changing surgery to correct her spine. Julia had reached the semi-finals with dance troupe MerseyGirls, and had told the judges that she was hoping to use her prize money to pay for the procedure. And while the group didn't win, Simon flew Julia to the USA so that she could still have the operation. Over the weekend, the group appeared on stage for Britain's Got Talent: The Champions, and Julia back-flipped across the stage, causing Simon to well up.
Simon Cowell welled up as he reunited with MerseyGirl dancer Julia Carlile
Simon is said to have then made a speech after being prompted by his co-star Amanda Holden. The Sun reports that the X Factor judge praised Julia for her strength, and the group for their friendship and support. Alesha Dixon, who had given the group her Golden Buzzer in 2017, then told Simon that Julia's comeback had made her "heart soar" and that she loved Simon for what he had done for the dancer. Julia went on to thank Simon, telling him that he had made her the happiest she has ever been.
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Julia got corrective surgery after Simon offered to pay for the procedure
Britain's Got Talent: The Champions is currently being filmed and is expected to air later in the year. Many of the stars from the previous series are battling it out, with other familiar faces in the line-up including magician Richard Jones, Stavros Flatley, and Colin Thackery. However, Susan Boyle – who shot to fame after appearing on the third series of the show in 2009 - won't be joining the contest due to scheduling conflicts.
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It's been a busy time for Simon, who spends his time between the UK and the USA – where he works on America's Got Talent. The star has also been wowing fans with his incredible weight loss over the past few months. Simon has been committed to changing his lifestyle for the better since a health scare in 2017 and cut out red meat, dairy, sugar, bread, and gluten from his diet after being advised to do so by a specialist, who also told him to cut down on his alcohol consumption.
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