'The Britain's Got Talent change that's ruined it for me, the acts and everyone else'

Yahoo

a day ago

As we prepare for the grand finale of Britain's Got Talent on ITV1 this weekend, one quote from this year's series is still playing in my head. It's these words, which were shouted by Bruno Tonioli at the red hot favourites Hear Our Voice, following their triumphant semi-final performance: "The ordeal you've been subjected to is unimaginable."
Tonioli's words were, of course, a perfect summary of the nation's feelings on the way some of the Post Office choir members on that stage were treated by their bosses and our leaders throughout the Horizon IT scandal.
However, in more general terms Tonioli's words could have equally been directed towards the five million or so hardy ITV viewers who have sat through the unimaginable ordeal that has been Britain's Got Talent 2025.
I think we can all agree it has not been a vintage year for the once mighty talent search. Then again, that should not have come as a surprise given that the last time this show enjoyed anything approaching a vintage year Piers Morgan was still on the judging panel. (I'm not suggesting they bring him back, by the way. KSI will do us just fine.)
It didn't help that ITV's decision to extend BGT's run in order to cover the gaping hole in the schedule left by Saturday Night Takeaway's departure displayed a lack of imagination on a par with the network's obvious lack of a programming budget. Consequently this series has felt like it has gone on forever, even if you've been fast-forwarding through the ad breaks and filler.
Plus, we've been crudely denied one of the fixtures of our annual TV calendar. For as long as I can remember, May half-term week has been BGT semi-finals week. The hype builds throughout the week, then we have a recovery day on Saturday before reconvening for the big night on Sunday. Then we quickly forget about it until the next year.
ITV's schedulers have taken that away from us and, unless by some miracle a cheap new Saturday night entertainment format drops into their laps in the next few months, the same thing will happen again next year — and every subsequent year until BGT has finally been flogged to death.
If I was a betting man, I'd say it won't last much beyond a fanfare 20th series due in 2027 — especially if Simon Cowell's desperation takes him down The X Factor route and he starts frantically meddling with the format.
There were worrying signs of that this year with the ludicrous decision to introduce extra Golden Buzzers in the semi-finals. Now, I appreciate that the crowd wildly chanting for the judges to push the buzzer may make for an exciting atmosphere in the theatre, and even lead to one of Cowell's coveted YouTube "moments", which are clearly all he cares about these days.
Watching it at home on the telly over and over again is incredibly annoying though. And what is the extra Golden Buzzer actually saying to the TV audience? It's saying "We don't trust you to vote for the acts that we want to be in the final so we're going to deny you that right and just sneak them through the backdoor ourselves."
It also leaves the show open to the possibility that someone could reach the final without ever having faced any kind of democratic process. So Cowell could end up in a position where he is able to manipulate the entire show from start to finish. I mean, just imagine that.
No wonder Ant & Dec were only too happy to hand over their extra Golden Buzzer to guest judge KSI in the fifth semi-final. Those boys know a stinky idea when they see one. The only surprise was that Hear Our Voice never received a Golden Buzzer of any kind. You know, considering how incredible and emotional their performances have been. It was almost as if Cowell and co knew that they'd never need one, because their backstory was always going to endear them to the voting public.
In fact, ITV and Cowell must have been delighted that this hastily-formed choir came out of nowhere and fell into their laps the very year that the Post Office scandal really blew up. (That was due in large part of course to the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, although ITV doesn't like to go on about that too much.)
And how lucky were they that one of the choir's members was big mates with a professional singer/songwriter who had just written a song that fit beautifully with the choir's campaign for justice? The fact that he and his band were willing to come along and sing lead and backing vocals for them must have felt like the icing on the cake. Apologies if that sounds overly cynical. Watching Cowell's shows for twenty years can do that to a man.
Just think yourselves lucky that I'm not some wild conspiracy theorist, or I might end up mentioning that said singer/songwriter is signed to Cowell's old mates, Universal Music Publishing. To be honest, I'm just annoyed that so far none of the judges has even thought to tell a bunch of postal workers that they "really delivered on that stage." Come on, guys. Open goal or what.
Besides, at the end of the day who is going to complain if the £250,000 prize finds its way into the pockets of some of the people who to this day are still getting stiffed by the government?
Obviously, the other finalists may feel a tad aggrieved. The beauty of BGT though, is that those other nine acts (maybe more if there's a wildcard or two) still have a chance to prevent the foregone conclusion on Saturday night.
Maybe electronic dancers The Blackouts from Switzerland's Got Talent and Germany's Got Talent will stitch even more LEDs into their costumes and really blow everyone away, including their dance rivals Ping Pong Pang from Italia's Got Talent — and presumably, at some point in the future, Benidorm's Got Talent.
Or perhaps schoolboy electric guitarist Olly Pearson will have extra pyrotechnics coming out of his amp and his foot pedal this time around. You never know, comedian Joseph Charm might even include something in his final routine that resembles a joke. (Okay, a bit harsh. But that routine in the semi was nowhere near funny enough for a Golden Buzzer.)
I guess there's also a chance that Scotland will come through for Vinnie McKee just like it did for, erm, that Scottish fella who won in 2011. ITV might even extend the show by half an hour to allow magician Harry Moulding to finish his act.
Yeah, right.
Even if any of those things were to happen on the night, Cowell would probably just pull out another surprise Golden Buzzer and declare Hear Our Voice the winner. To be fair, I'd probably accept that. But only on one condition: That when they perform for King Charles they ask him to autograph some stamps.
Britain's Got Talent 2025 finalists
Binita
Harry Moulding
Hear Our Voice
Jasmine Rice
Joseph Charm
Olly Pearson
Ping Pong Pang
Stacey Leadbeatter
The Blackouts
Vinnie McKee
Will Burns
The final of Britain's Got Talent airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 7pm-9:45pm on Saturday, 31 May.