Simon Cowell's flying start for the BGT baby

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The Britain's Got Talent judge stepped in to make sure sound recordist John Hagenstede, 44, made it in time to see the birth of his first child.

Mr Hagenstede was working at the talent show's auditions in Edinburgh when his girlfriend, make-up artist Lisa Stewart, 30, called him at 10pm on Saturday saying she was about to give birth. The couple live in Caterham, Surrey, and with no flights or trains left that night Mr Hagenstede feared he would miss the birth.

But as auditions came to a close at 10.45pm, Cowell heard about his predicament and invited him to join him on the private jet flying him and fellow judges Alesha Dixon and David Walliams to Luton airport.

"Lisa wasn't due for another nine days, so I was shocked to get the call and desperate to get back to Surrey to be with her," Mr Hagenstede said.

"I was devastated when I realised the only option was waiting and getting a flight in the morning. I knew I would miss the birth of my first child.

"Simon, David and Alesha were brilliant. They gave me drinks on the flight and relaxed me."

Cowell also arranged for a car to be waiting as the jet landed, to take the father-to-be from the airport to East Surrey hospital. He arrived in the nick of time to witness the birth of son Jude Berkeley, who weighed in at 7lb 8oz. Mr Hagenstede said: "I'm so grateful to Simon. Without him I'd have missed that precious moment."