Cowell misses auditions

Due to illness, the judge missed the Britain's Got Talent trials...

18:04 03 February 2010

Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell was forced to miss the young hopefuls auditioning in Birmingham on Wednesday.

Fellow X Factor judge Louis Walsh sat in for the 50-year-old, who was unable to attend due to flu.

An ITV spokesman said: "Simon Cowell unfortunately has flu so Louis Walsh has kindly stepped in on the panel."

Walsh has joined judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden on the Britain's Got Talent panel.

It is not known when Cowell will return to judge future auditions.

The series is due to return to ITV1 in May.