Simon Cowell crashed a golf buggy into a gift shop at Thorpe Park as he went in search of an ice-cream sandwich.
The 57-year-old music mogul assumed control of the vehicle during a 15-minute break from filming auditions of ‘The X Factor’, as he decided to take his fellow judges Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne for an spin in the buggy.
A source said: "Simon was in a wild mood and decided to go off in search of ice-cream sandwiches for him and the judges.
"He pinched a golf buggy from where they were filming and off he went.
"Production had no idea where he was for a while, he just pelted off on a full-on joyride."
Unfortunately for Simon, his plan didn’t work out as he misjudged the width of a door frame at the Derren Brown-themed Ghost Train ride, causing the vehicle to bang into the store’s metal detectors.
The insider told The Sun newspaper: "As he got close to the park’s ghost train he tried to drive the cart into a shop but completely underestimated the width of the door and clattered into some metal detectors.
"There was a brief period of concern that the judges could have been hurt, but they were soon on their way again.
"Simon had been given free reign of the park after it was closed to the general public. He was acting like a big, mischievous kid."
The judges all walked away from the incident unscathed, and they were subsequently able to resume filming auditions for the new series of ‘The X Factor’.
Simon has introduced a series of changes to the show this year, one of which has included shooting the auditions at some unusual locations, like Thorpe Park.
A source recently explained: "Singers will perform on both Saturday and Sunday evenings, with acts being eliminated both nights.
"They are doing the Thorpe Park auditions early on, too, because producers think the unconventional location will create some funny footage. They want to get shots of the judges on white-knuckle rides."
Simon Cowell crashes golf buggy at Thorpe Park
