ITV Britain's Got Talent's contestant health struggles exposed ahead of semi-final

Daily Record

6 days ago

Britain's Got Talent has been hit with health struggles ahead of tonight's semi-final as both Jerry Pop and CJ Emmons have been battling injuries and illness
Britain's Got Talent has captivated audiences for weeks, and we're approaching the climax as tonight marks the last live semi-final. Opening the night were dancer Jerry Pop and vocalist CJ Emmons, both delivering stellar performances despite facing health adversities in the lead-up to their spotlight moment.
Jerry disclosed a setback in his BGT VT, sharing that he sustained an ankle fracture while playing basketball. This mishap led to less rehearsal time and a need to absorb dance routines from the sidelines.
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At the conclusion of his routine, Jerry admitted that his medical boot was removed just two to three weeks prior to his performance this evening, reports the Mirror.
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CJ, filled with emotion after belting out James Brown's 'It's A Man's Man's Man's World', confided in presenters Ant and Dec about his recent brush with mortality. With visible tears, CJ opened up about his ordeal.
He expressively recounted to Ant and Dec: "Two weeks ago I was in the hospital having life threatening surgery," adding, "I fought for that, and I'm fighting for this. I want this so bad."
Earlier this week, the star disclosed that he was recuperating from gallbladder surgery. "They cut into my abdominal wall and every time after that, it's been hurting to sing. But my doctor's like, 'keep singing, strengthen it, strengthen it, and it's going to get better.' So there's still a bit of pain. But I can tell it's getting stronger and stronger," he shared.
This revelation followed a show-stopping performance that had the audience urging guest judge KSI to utilise his Golden Buzzer privileges to fast-track the star directly to the final. However, the YouTuber chose to reserve his power, later awarding it to magician Harry.
Nonetheless, Amanda Holden reassured the performer that he needn't worry as the public would undoubtedly rally behind him.
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This year, fans have had to exercise more patience than usual to discover which acts have advanced to the final due to a scheduling reshuffle. Typically, the ITV talent show would broadcast the semi-finals consecutively over one week.
But that's not the only alteration. For the first time in its history, the show has incorporated the Golden Buzzer feature in the semi-final.
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Originally, this feature was employed during auditions to automatically advance an act to the semi-finals, bypassing the shortlisting process.
However, this year, the judges wield more influence than ever before. Each week, one of them is granted the authority to propel one act directly to the final, with the other finalist being determined by public vote.
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This evening marked the final appearance of the Golden Buzzer for this year, with future decisions now resting entirely in the hands of the audience.
Dance LED troupe The Blackouts wrote their names into the Britain's Got Talent annals during the inaugural semi-final by becoming the first act to receive the Golden Buzzer at this advanced stage of the competition. It was a momentous occasion for Amanda Holden as she exercised her privilege to make an exceptionally challenging choice.
"Your audition took our breath away and this evening, it was even better," Amanda confessed before hitting the pivotal buzzer. "I cannot wait to see what you do in the final," she announced, sharing in the euphoria on stage with them.