Simon Cowell has opened up about a tense moment when he nearly punched one of the biggest stars of a 90s boy band.
In the documentary Boybands Forever, produced by Louis Theroux and airing on BBC Two, some of the most iconic pop stars of the 90s and early 2000s reflect on how their dreams of fame turned into living nightmares.
One of the key figures featured is Scott Robinson from the hit boy band 5ive, which also included Ritchie Neville, Jason ‘J’ Brown, Sean Conlon, and Abz Love. Robinson shares an emotional moment when he broke down in front of the X Factor judge and other record executives, wanting to quit the band for good, only to be told he couldn’t leave.
5ive, known for chart-toppers like Keep On Movin’, Everybody Get Up, and Let’s Dance, split in 2001 after achieving massive success.
In a clip from the doc, Robinson revealed that he once stormed into a meeting with his label’s executives, leading to a physical altercation with the management.
He said: “I pinned one of the big cheeses at the record label up against his desk with my foot crushing him into the wall and said “I will f**king leave this band, you try and f**king stop me’ with Simon Cowell trying to fight me off him.
“I’d lost my mind, they had to call security and carry me out the building kicking and screaming like a wild dog through the revolving doors and out.”
Cowell also recalled the tense moment and shared: "We almost ended up in a fist fight, I was that close to punching him in the face.”
Despite his frustration, Scott was unable to walk away from 5ive at that time.
He said: “Maybe a week later I‘m called into another meeting and everyone’s there and they’re going you can’t leave.
“This time I’ve got in front of me four other people’s lives and I couldn’t let them down so I said go on then, I’ll do it, I should have said no.”
The admission comes as Cowell has stepped away from Britain’s Got Talent following Liam Payne’s tragic death.
The head judge was replaced by Bruno Tonioli while he took time away from the show in the wake of the 31-year-old One Direction star’s passing.
"This news has hit Simon incredibly hard - he is utterly shocked and devastated," an insider told The Sun. "He adored Liam, and was close to his family with whom he is sure to reach out privately.
"He didn't feel it was right to continue with filming BGT, and when it resumes on Saturday, does not feel he'll be in the right headspace to continue. All the judges and production crew are being hugely supportive," they added.
Three people have been charged in connection with the death of Payne after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last month.
Boybands Forever airs Saturday, November 16 that 9pm on BBC Two
