Simon Cowell ‘donates £1 million Britain’s Got Talent M&S ad fee to children’s charity’

He was once television’s famous Mr Nasty judge – but it seems Simon Cowell has gone all soft over the years.

The 60-year-old was reportedly offered a staggering £1 million fee to star in a new Marks & Spencer’s advertisement, alongside his fellow Britain’s Got Talent judges.

The promo film, which sees the panellists and hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at a pun-fuelled dinner party, aired in the ad breaks of Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday night.

But rather than keep the hefty sum, Cowell, who is father to six-year-old son Eric, is said to have given the money to children’s charity Together for Short Lives.

The charity describes themselves as “lifeline for families who care for seriously ill children”, who may be suffering from life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.

Cowell’s generous donation to charity has also reportedly led Marks & Spencer’s to support the charity over the course of the next year with a series of fundraising initiatives thought to cost around £1 million.

A source told the Evening Standard: “Simon is delighted that Marks & Spencer and he were able to share a vision of how to support such a special charity that does such important work.”

Cowell has been a patron of Together for Short Lives since 2009, with the charity describing how the TV personality has benefited those it has tried to support.

As well as visiting children’s hospice and palliative care services, he has also invited children and families to the Britain’s Got Talent and X Factor live shows.

Together for Short Lives was also made one of the main X Factor charities in 2011, having benefitted from the show’s numerous charity singles.

In the Britain’s Got Talent adverts, Cowell, alongside David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden, discuss their favourite foods available from Marks & Spencers – with the retail giant sponsoring the programme for the first time in 2019.

With the auditions currently airing, the Britain’s Got Talent live shows have been delayed until Autumn due to the social distancing measures implemented after the coronavirus outbreak.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on Saturday at 7pm on ITV

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