Britain’s Got Talent has been involved in a 'fix' row after it was revealed strongman JD Anderson has links to judge Simon Cowell.
The American, nicknamed The Iceman, wowed viewers on Saturday night as he performed a series of stunts to the stunned judges, showcasing his super strength.
JD even managed to injure himself, as he bent a hammer with his bare hands, snapped baseball bats in half, and smashed his head through a block of ice.
Simon, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon gave him four unanimous yeses, meaning he’s through to the next round, but some eagle-eyed viewers recognised the strongman from previous shows.
“You're bleeding a bit from your head… are you okay?” funnyman David asked him.
“I don't feel it, I'm just happy to be here,” the strongman replied.
The bearded barbarian reached the quarter-finals of America’s Got Talent in 2014, stunning judges Howard Stern, Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum.
Simon serves as executive producer on the US talent show, as well as temporarily serving as one of the judges.
And in 2011, JD was a contestant on Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly’s ill-fated game show Red or Black, which was created by Simon.
The quiz, co-produced by the 62-year-old’s media firm Syco Entertainment, lasted for two seasons, before being cancelled a year later.
While Simon didn’t appear on the shows himself, he worked behind the scenes, prompting some BGT fans to accuse producers of ‘fixing’ the popular ITV series.
JD, who holds six world records, also auditioned for France’s Got Talent last year.
A spokesperson for the show told The Sun: “As with many other entertainers who are hoping for success in the industry, JD Anderson had previously appeared on television shows in the past but chose to audition for BGT to perform in front of Simon Cowell for the first time, referencing him as one of the most recognisable names in the world.
“There are no rules that state that appearing on other shows should prevent him from applying. All acts audition on the same basis and normal programme rules apply.
“These claims unnecessarily encourage negative trolling against our contestants and “fix” claims are completely untrue. We have always been very open about who can apply for BGT,” they added.
The Mirror has approached Britain's Got Talent for comment.
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