Simon Cowell’s biggest celeb bust-ups from Ant and Dec to Cheryl as he turns 61

Simon Cowell is known for his feisty comments and no-nonsense attitude, which has often led to disagreements with his co-stars.

Being a highly successful telly star, he's been known to argue with his Britain's Got Talent and X Factor team over what he believes is and isn't right - from behind-the-scenes to live auditions and shows.

The outspoken star has built a reputation for himself over the years for being brutally honest as a judge on his own shows.

As the entertainment mogul is celebrating his 61st birthday today, here's a look back at some of the most explosive bust-ups he has had over the years - including some that happened live on air.

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have revealed that they have not always seen eye to eye with Simon Cowell.

Back in 2012 the presenting pair decided to meet with the music mogul to hash things out, after they grew frustrated whilst working on Britain's Got Talent.

The Geordie stars started to get tired of putting their efforts into the series - which saw long days on set as they watched auditions and interviewed hopefuls - when they saw the final episodes hardly included them.

Ant and Dec, 44, share in their new new autobiography Once Upon A Tyne how they decided to sit down with Simon to discuss their future on the series as they felt "sidelined".

Ant told: "It was on a trip to America, in 2012, where we had to have a serious conversation with Simon."

This led to ITV bosses talking to Simon - who then asked Ant and Dec to meet him in LA to discuss the issues.

They detail in the book that they met the TV judge at Ceconni's in West Hollywood and that they "let him have it with both barrels".

Ant wrote: "We told him everything — that we weren't being used, that we could be doing other stuff, that maybe someone else should take over.

"To be fair to Simon, he sat there, took it all and listened intently for four, maybe five cigarettes."

Dec added that Simon promised things would change and that he kept his word and they did when they returned to filming.

Proving that the threesome moved on from the drama, Simon, who also comments in the book, added: "If they’re pissed off, they'll tell me to my face", and he adds that he respects that they spoke to him themselves.

Simon was left raging at funnyman Peter Kay's parody of his shows.

The entertainment mogul is said to have thought Peter's shows Britain's Got The Pop Factor and Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice "undermined his success".

Not only was Simon annoyed that Peter, 47, took aim at his portfolio of series but he was also infuriated that narrator Peter Dickinson took part, according to The Sun.

Kay is said to have told Dickinson: "He hated it. Hated everything about it. Thought we were taking the piss, undermining his success. He sent me a really stinking email."

He reportedly went on: "He was particularly upset about your involvement and I felt a bit guilty about that as I had given you my word, when we met, that it was an affectionate parody."

But apparently Simon had a change of heart after the show went on air, with Peter telling Dickinson: "After the reviews came in and the praise for it was universal, he decided it was OK. Called me to apologise. Nowt as queer as folk, eh?"

The claims emerge in Dickinson's new book, Voiceover Man.

Former Big Brother star Megan, 28, once had a nasty bust-up with the music mogul after he told her she'd be a flop.

Megan and Simon had a huge falling out in 2015 after he laughed in her face when she said she wanted to sing country music.

She previously competed on X Factor in 2014 and 2015, but claimed all clips of her on the talent show were removed.

"I was singing country and Simon said that wouldn't work in the UK," she told Daily Star, adding: "And he said 'you can't sing country music because you're from Essex'.

"I don't think they treated me fairly."

She insisted she would not give up, and later proved Simon wrong as she auditioned for X Factor: Celebrity in 2019.

She won the show and a record deal with his label, Syco.

Simon's former X Factor co-star Cheryl Cole, 37, was also caught up in the wrath of one of his fiery feuds.

On the 2010 series, Cheryl made a huge return after battling with malaria, and was determined for one of her acts to win in a bid to "wipe the smile" off Simon's face.

However he called her a "spoilt brat" after she refused to agree with him over one of the acts and stuck her tongue out at him.

It's not the first time they have argued though, as Cheryl wrote about her pal sacking her from X Factor US without telling her face-to-face.

In her autobiography My Story, the former Girls Aloud star revealed how she sent the music mogul a scathing text message in which she told him "I hate you" after discovering he'd fired her.

Cheryl was a judge on the UK X Factor for three series, and said after the first day of filming auditions for the US show in 2011, the record label boss asked her if she wanted to return to the UK.

The popstar described his comments as "irritating beyond belief", adding: "The only reason I was doing the American X Factor was because Simon more or less told me I was doing it."

During her break from filming three weeks later, the star said she was asked to meet X Factor's executive producer in a London hotel where she was told she was being axed from the US show, but still had a place as chief judge on the UK version.

Cheryl said the producer told her how her strong Geordie accent may have been a factor.

In her message to Simon, she raged: "(Cowell) didn't even have the guts to phone or send a message warning me what was coming. I was furious with Simon for letting it it happen like this. I believed we had a good friendship and I couldn't understand why he just hadn't been straight with me."

She added: "I hate you. I understand you're a businessman, and what I've learned from this is that business means more to you than our friendship."

But things eventually worked out as Cheryl made up with Simon six months later, although he said sacking her was "the worst mistake I ever made".

Alesha Dixon and Simon Cowell reportedly had a row at the Birmingham Britain's Got Talent auditions in 2012.

The business mogul taunted his co-star by saying "who are you?" after they disagreed over a dance group called Lil' Diamondz.

The group had recently appeared on the singer's CBBC series Street Dance Stars and the TV judge told the act that they "hadn't let her down" following their audition.

But Simon mocked Alesha and said: "What a silly comment to make. That's a silly thing to say, Alesha... Sorry, who are you, anyway?"

The Mirror exclusively reported how the spat continued backstage and Alesha "stormed off to her dressing room".

However a source close to Simon insisted that his remarks were "harmless banter".

But despite Simon turning another year older, he probably won't change his outspoken ways.