Amanda Holden was "p***ed off" with Simon Cowell after he poked fun at her failed marriage to Les Dennis.
The 'Britain's Got Talent' judge was angered by her fellow panellist after he made a jibe suggesting she became famous because of her eight-year marriage to the comedian during auditions for the show at the London Palladium.
Amanda, 41, told one contestant that she had gone from "rags to riches", to which the 53-year-old music mogul retorted: "You went from Les Dennis…"
The contentious comment hit a nerve with Holden, who divorced Dennis in 2003 following her affair with actor Neil Morrissey.
The stunned actress responded: "That's a bit close to the bone, Simon. You've p***ed me off. We're meant to be friends."
The long-standing judge earned a rare apology from Simon, who said: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Simon made the comment about Les Dennis but regretted it straight away so he apologised. Amanda was not impressed."
Later in the day, it was Simon who was left red-faced as he received a lap dance from fellow judge, David Walliams, 41, after enjoying one from a female contestant.
The source said: "Simon had loved the act so David decided he should go up on stage for an extra dance.
"A reluctant Simon sat down and enjoyed some of the lady's moves - until David decided to join in."