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West Australian
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Simon Cowell's former X Factor colleague Tony Adkins tragically dies while on tour, age 64
X Factor favourite Tony Adkins, known affectionately as 'Big Tony', has died at the age of 64. Mr Adkins was best known for working as Simon Cowell's personal bodyguard for eight years during his time on The X Factor, where he became a familiar face to fans of the show. Often seen stepping in to de-escalate tense moments, viewers will remember him calmly escorting emotional or unruly contestants out of the audition room when things didn't go to plan. After his time on the hit talent show, Mr Adkins gave fans a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of life with Cowell during an interview with The Mirror . 'He's a very private person. He doesn't give much away. You never see him drunk or out of control,' Mr Adkins said of Cowell. 'Simon is vain, he does his hair all the time. If there are five breaks in filming, then Simon will do his hair five times. 'And I think he has about 20 identical T-shirts. I remember once he had a hole-in-one, so he just reached into a bag and pulled out another from a big pile.' Beyond the glitz of television, Mr Adkins was also remembered as a dedicated clubman and friend. Hammersmith and Fulham RFC, where he was a beloved member, confirmed he passed away while on tour with the club in Poland on Easter Sunday. In a tribute shared on their website, the club wrote: 'It is with immense sadness that the club pays tribute to a true gent and great Hammer, Tony Adkins, who passed away whilst on tour with the Club in Poland on Easter Sunday'. Tributes have since poured in online from fans and former colleagues, remembering Mr Adkins for his calm presence, big heart, and iconic appearances during one of Britain's most memorable TV talent eras.
Perth Now
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
X Factor legend ‘Big Tony' tragically dies age 64
X Factor favourite Tony Adkins, known affectionately as 'Big Tony', has died at the age of 64. Mr Adkins was best known for working as Simon Cowell's personal bodyguard for eight years during his time on The X Factor, where he became a familiar face to fans of the show. Often seen stepping in to de-escalate tense moments, viewers will remember him calmly escorting emotional or unruly contestants out of the audition room when things didn't go to plan. After his time on the hit talent show, Mr Adkins gave fans a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of life with Cowell during an interview with The Mirror. 'He's a very private person. He doesn't give much away. You never see him drunk or out of control,' Mr Adkins said of Cowell. 'Simon is vain, he does his hair all the time. If there are five breaks in filming, then Simon will do his hair five times. 'And I think he has about 20 identical T-shirts. I remember once he had a hole-in-one, so he just reached into a bag and pulled out another from a big pile.' Beyond the glitz of television, Mr Adkins was also remembered as a dedicated clubman and friend. Hammersmith and Fulham RFC, where he was a beloved member, confirmed he passed away while on tour with the club in Poland on Easter Sunday. X Factor favourite Tony Adkins, known affectionately as 'Big Tony', has died at the age of 64. Credit: Fulham Rugby / The Nightly In a tribute shared on their website, the club wrote: 'It is with immense sadness that the club pays tribute to a true gent and great Hammer, Tony Adkins, who passed away whilst on tour with the Club in Poland on Easter Sunday'. Tributes have since poured in online from fans and former colleagues, remembering Mr Adkins for his calm presence, big heart, and iconic appearances during one of Britain's most memorable TV talent eras.
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
X Factor star and Simon Cowell's pal Tony Adkins dies as family pay tribute
An X Factor legend has died at the age of 64 on Easter Sunday, as confirmed by family on social media with a touching tribute X Factor legend Tony Adkins, known as Big Tony, passed away at the age of 64 on Easter Sunday while on a rugby tour. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by a family member on social media. His cousin posted a tribute online, along with a picture of Tony, with the caption: "It is with great sadness my family would like to announce that my Cousin Big Tony, Simon Cowell's ex bodyguard, passed away on Easter Sunday while on a Rugby Tour. He was a loveable Rogue and will be missed very much, RIP Big T." Hammersmith and Fulham RFC shared a touching tribute to Tony on its website, stating: "It is with immense sadness that the club pays tribute to a true gent and great Hammer, Tony Adkins, who passed away whilst on tour with the Club in Poland on Easter Sunday." Tony was a bodyguard on the popular ITV show the X Factor, and when contestants got rowdy or upset he was often brought in to remove them from the audition room. After leaving his job as a bodyguard on the show, Tony opened up about his experience working with Simon - who he worked closely with for eight years. He previously told the Mirror: "Simon was so laid-back and a very nice guy. He was generous, too. Whenever the show finished - and at Christmas - you'd get an envelope as a thank you. The last one I got had £700 stuffed in it." Tony added: "He's a very private person. He doesn't give much away. You never see him drunk or out of control. Simon is vain - he does his hair all the time. "If there are five breaks in filming then Simon will do his hair five times. And I think he has about 20 identical T-shirts. I remember once he had a hole in one, so he just reached into a bag and pulled out another from a big pile." He also revealed that Simon was 'vain' and would 'do his hair' at any point where there was a break from filming. He also gave his opinion on the other judges on the show, including Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole. "Louis goes around saying, 'Hello, hello hello,' all the time, always up for a laugh. Cheryl's pleasant, and Dannii's really laid-back and will talk to anyone," he revealed. "All the judges used to get on but they'd wind each other up, too." "If Simon thought Louis was being mean about an auditionee he'd say, 'Louis, go and apologise,' but Louis would refuse. So Simon would ask him again to say sorry but Louis would just say no. "And they'd just carry on like that, winding each other up. But they were really good friends."
Irish Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
X Factor legend and Simon Cowell's close pal dies as family share heartbreak
X Factor legend Tony Adkins, affectionately known as Big Tony, passed away at the age of 64 on Easter Sunday during a rugby tour. A family member broke the sad news on social media. Posting a photo of Tony, his cousin shared: "It is with great sadness my family would like to announce that my Cousin Big Tony, Simon Cowell's ex bodyguard, passed away on Easter Sunday while on a Rugby Tour. He was a loveable Rogue and will be missed very much, RIP Big T." Hammersmith and Fulham RFC paid their respects to Tony on their official website, stating: "It is with immense sadness that the club pays tribute to a true gent and great Hammer, Tony Adkins, who passed away whilst on tour with the Club in Poland on Easter Sunday." Tony spent eight years protecting Simon Cowell from irate talent-show rejects. Tony was the go-to man to calm things down or escort people out when tensions ran high during The X Factor auditions, reports the Mirror. After his stint on the show, Tony spoke candidly about his time working closely with Simon. He once recounted to the Mirror: "Simon was so laid-back and a very nice guy. He was generous, too. Whenever the show finished - and at Christmas - you'd get an envelope as a thank you. The last one I got had £700 stuffed in it." Tony also remarked: "He's a very private person. He doesn't give much away. You never see him drunk or out of control. Simon is vain - he does his hair all the time." Praising Simon, he added: "If there are five breaks in filming then Simon will do his hair five times. And I think he has about 20 identical T-shirts. I remember once he had a hole in one, so he just reached into a bag and pulled out another from a big pile." Of the other judges, Tony revealed: "Louis goes around saying, 'Hello, hello hello,' all the time, always up for a laugh. Cheryl's pleasant, and Dannii's really laid-back and will talk to anyone". Although the judges generally got along, the former bodyguard did reveal that they enjoyed teasing each other. He said: "All the judges used to get on but they'd wind each other up, too." Tony continued: "If Simon thought Louis was being mean about an auditionee he'd say, 'Louis, go and apologise,' but Louis would refuse. So Simon would ask him again to say sorry but Louis would just say no." Their friendly banter was not just limited to their TV appearances, as the judges' relationships continued off screen as well. He also discussed their interactions, adding: "And they'd just carry on like that, winding each other up. But they were really good friends."
Metro
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
X Factor star and Simon Cowell's former bodyguard 'Big Tony' dies aged 64
Bodyguard Tony Adkins, known as Big Tony, has died aged 64. He worked closely with Simon Cowell and was a frequent face on The X Factor in its heyday. Adkins' death was confirmed by his cousin, who announced that he died on Easter Sunday. 'It is with great sadness my family would like to announce that my Cousin Big Tony, Simon Cowell's ex bodyguard, passed away on Easter Sunday while on a Rugby Tour', a statement on social media read. 'He was a loveable Rogue and will be missed very much, RIP Big T [sic]'. Hammersmith and Fulham RFC also shared a tribute: 'It is with immense sadness that the club pays tribute to a true gent and great Hammer, Tony Adkins, who passed away whilst on tour with the Club in Poland on Easter Sunday.' Adkins will be remembered by viewers of the ITV talent show for being the tough guy called in to defuse situations when auditions got heated, escorting contestants from the room away from the judges. More Trending Speaking previously to The Mirror, he lifted the lid on what music mogul Cowell was like to work for. 'Simon was so laid-back and a very nice guy,' he said. View More » 'He was generous, too. Whenever the show finished – and at Christmas – you'd get an envelope as a thank you. The last one I got had £700 stuffed in it.' This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates. If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. For more stories like this, check our entertainment page. Follow Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Perrie Edwards admits she still cries over Jesy Nelson 5 years after leaving Little Mix MORE: Simon Cowell gives a rare insight into family life with lookalike son Eric MORE: Simon Cowell considered taking $150,000 to judge a couple having sex
