Long before he became the scowling music mogul we know today, Simon Cowell was pulling off stunts that would make any parent's hair turn gray. At just 12 years old, the future X Factor judge decided to hijack a public bus in Radlett, England—armed with nothing but a toy pea-shooter gun and the audacity of a kid who clearly hadn't thought things through.

Cowell and a friend wanted to get to Watford, about ten miles away, but apparently didn't fancy paying the fare. So they boarded a bus, pointed the toy gun at the driver's head, and demanded: "Take us to Watford!"

When Your Prank Goes Too Far

Here's where young Simon's plan unraveled. The bus driver, believing the gun was real, didn't just comply—he went into full crisis mode. Instead of stopping at the next station or pulling over, the terrified driver drove for 20 miles straight while secretly alerting authorities.

Cowell later recalled sitting on the bus thinking the driver was "playing along" really well. He wasn't. When the bus finally pulled into Watford, a fleet of police cars was waiting. The boys were arrested on the spot and thrown in jail.

The Aftermath

When Scotland Yard discovered the "weapon" was just a harmless pea-shooter with a range of a few feet, they dropped any potential charges. But that didn't save Simon from his mother's wrath. As punishment, she made him spend a week picking up stones on a farm—a decidedly old-school consequence that probably felt worse than the brief jail stint.

Cowell has been remarkably candid about this incident over the years, confessing the story in interviews on This Morning and other programs. He's described it as a joke that went spectacularly wrong, the kind of childhood escapade that seems hilarious in retrospect but was absolutely terrifying at the time—especially for that poor bus driver.

From Troublemaker to Television Royalty

This wasn't Cowell's only brush with mischief as a kid. He's also admitted to starting drinking and smoking at age 8 (yes, 8), nearly burning down his house, and other acts of juvenile chaos. Clearly, the young Simon had a talent for stirring up drama—a skill that would eventually make him millions when channeled into television production.

Today, Cowell is worth hundreds of millions and has shaped the careers of countless musicians through shows like American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent. He's mellowed considerably since his bus-hijacking days, particularly after becoming a father. His son Eric, born in 2014, has by Cowell's own admission "saved his life" and helped him feel "love again" in a way his wild childhood never prepared him for.

The moral of the story? Sometimes the kids who give their parents the most grief end up channeling that rebellious energy into remarkable success. Though we'd still recommend not hijacking any buses—toy gun or otherwise.

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