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Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
BGT's most shocking final moments ever from gruesome mid-air disaster to dog owner pelted with DEATH threats after win
AFTER a mammoth five weeks of semi-finals, the Britain's Got Talent final is finally here. Tonight's supersized show - which runs for two hours and 45 minutes - will see the finalists battling it out for a chance to perform at The Royal Variety Show and a £250,000 cash prize. 13 The Blackouts also got through the first semi-final Credit: Tom Dymond 13 Judge Simon Cowell was pelted with eggs during the 2013 final Credit: ITV 13 The protest was planned by Natalie Holt Credit: Rex Features Comedian Joseph Charm and singers Jasmine Rice and Stacey Leadbetter are up against nine-year-old dancer Benita Chetry, Other acts include, Ping Pong Pang, who combine table tennis skills with dance, and the Hear Our Voice choir, which is made up of 39 people who have been impacted by the Post Office scandal. As well as creating stars like Susan Boyle and Diversity, the show's final has had its own fair share of controversies over the years. We take a look back at all of the biggest controversies that plagued the show's finale and proved you really do have to go big or go home. Egg throwing Singing duo Richard and Adam were in the middle of their moving rendition of The Impossible Dream during the series seven final, when one of their supporting musicians rushed to the front of the stage to pelt Simon Cowell with eggs. Natalie Holt was escorted from the stage by security, and later admitted she had planned to launch her protest against the music mogul after they finished their performance. She apologised profusely for spoiling their big moment but she had no such remorse for Simon, telling the Guardian that she had pelted him because he has too much power and influence in the entertainment industry. She also revealed she had been asked to mime during the performance which made it easy for her to put down her violin to pull the organic eggs from her tights. But she thanked Simon for not pressing charges. She added: 'As an act of goodwill I would also be happy to offer to pay for his dry cleaning bill or buy him a new shirt, maybe with a few more buttons at the top.' Doggy double Britain's Got Talent branded a 'fix' by fuming viewers after 'wrong act' gets through to finals 13 2015 Britain's Got Talent finalist Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse Credit: Splash News 13 A different dog was used for part of the final act Credit: PA:Press Association Outraged viewers felt cheated when it transpired that they had been misled by winner of series nine, Jules O'Dwyer, about her dancing dog Matisse. The winning performance included a tightrope walk but it was revealed the next day that a different dog stepped in for that part of the act. Jules defended her decision to employ a stand in, stating that the real Matisse was afraid of heights. Ofcom received hundreds of complaints over the 2015 incident, with people even sending death threats to the pair. It was ruled that ITV had misled the public - though Jules was not stripped of her £250,00 prize money. Shock injury 13 The team members collided in mid-air during a stunt Credit: Rex 13 The South Korean group lost out to singer Sydnie Christmas in the 2024 final Credit: Rex Performance troupe Ssaulabi were midway through their stunt-filled routine when two of its members collided mid-air, with horrific consequences. One teammate fell to the stage and landed awkwardly on his foot, before trying to stand up and collapsing. Judge Alesha Dixon recoiled in horror as the performer was forced to crawl off the stage in agony. It was later revealed he had broken his foot. A BGT statement issued the following morning read: "During last night's live final, a member of Ssaulabi Performance Troupe was injured. "He was quickly seen by our onsite medical team before going to hospital for further treatment. All at BGT wish him a speedy recovery.'" Fix claims 13 Kojo Anim was in the 2020 BGT final Credit: Rex Features 13 Alesha was accused of voting for Kojo because he was her friend When comedian Kojo Anim was voted through to the final in 2020, judge Alesha Dixon was accused of voting for him because they are good friends. Alesha reportedly knew Kojo through her husband, dancer Azuka Ononye, and she toldher fellow judges and the audience: 'I have known Kojo for many, many years.' The Mis-teeq singer was also accused of favouritism when she sent contestant Lifford Shillingford through to the final with her golden buzzer. It later emerged Alesha already knew Lifford from back in the day when he'd supported Mis-teeq on tour. Alesha hit back though and said: "He's not a friend. That sounds cold, but I don't have his phone number. "I haven't seen him in years. When I say I know him, I know his music. I remember him from back in the day. There were shows that Mis-Teeq were doing that he was too. There was just a mutual respect and understanding between us." Anonymous blog 13 An anonymous blog claimed the star knew Simon Cowell before the show Credit: ITV 13 Ronan Parke performed on the show in 2011 Credit: ITV Back in 2011, an anonymous blogger accused child star Ronan Parke of having connections to show boss Simon Cowell before appearing for the show. Ronan was the runner-up after losing out to Scottish singer Jai McDowall in the final. The blogger claimed to be an anonymous Sony Music source who said that no act had won the show who hadn't been an "invited or preferred" contestant. And they claimed that Simon had known Ronan for two years and that the youngster had signed a deal with his record label. After being questioned by police, the blogger apologised and admitted having no connection to Cowell, Syco or Ronan. A spokeswoman for Sony Music said at the time: "A man has now admitted responsibility for the wholly untrue blogs relating to Ronan Parke and the false allegations against Britain's Got Talent, Sony Music and Syco. He has admitted he has absolutely no connection with Ronan Parke, Sony Music, Syco, or Britain's Got Talent.' Nepo baby claims 13 BGT bosses defended Issy after Nepo baby hate Credit: PA:Press Association 13 Issy Simpson during the audition stage for ITV1's talent show Credit: PA:Press Association In 2017, eight-year-old Issy Simpson won her place in the final after stunning the audience and judges by reading Simon Cowell's mind. But her joy at making it to the final was tarnished after it was revealed that her grandad was well known in the magic world and was the main magic man behind the scenes for BGT. BGT bosses defended Issy and said she had won her spot fair and square saying: 'Russ Stevens (Issy's grandad) is a magic expert, who was used as a freelance magic consultant for two shows only in 2014. He has not been contracted since. 'Issy went through the same process as any other act and was judged on her performance on the day.'


The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
BGT's most shocking final moments ever from gruesome mid-air disaster to dog owner pelted with DEATH threats after win
Loading the AFTER a mammoth five weeks of semi-finals, the Britain's Got Talent final is finally here. Tonight's supersized show - which runs for two hours and 45 minutes - will see the finalists battling it out for a chance to perform at The Royal Variety Show and a £250,000 cash prize. 13 The Blackouts also got through the first semi-final Credit: Tom Dymond 13 Judge Simon Cowell was pelted with eggs during the 2013 final Credit: ITV 13 The protest was planned by Natalie Holt Credit: Rex Features Comedian Joseph Charm and singers Jasmine Rice and Stacey Leadbetter are up against nine-year-old dancer Benita Chetry, Other acts include, Ping Pong Pang, who combine table tennis skills with dance, and the Hear Our Voice choir, which is made up of 39 people who have been impacted by the Post Office scandal. As well as creating stars like Susan Boyle and Diversity, the show's final has had its own fair share of controversies over the years. We take a look back at all of the biggest controversies that plagued the show's finale and proved you really do have to go big or go home. READ MORE FEATURES Egg throwing Singing duo Richard and Adam were in the middle of their moving rendition of The Impossible Dream during the series seven final, when one of their supporting musicians rushed to the front of the stage to pelt Simon Cowell with eggs. Natalie Holt was escorted from the stage by security, and later admitted she had planned to launch her protest against the music mogul after they finished their performance. She apologised profusely for spoiling their big moment but she had no such remorse for Simon, telling the Guardian that she had pelted him because he has too much power and influence in the entertainment industry. She also revealed she had been asked to mime during the performance which made it easy for her to put down her violin to pull the organic eggs from her tights. Most read in Reality But she thanked Simon for not pressing charges. She added: 'As an act of goodwill I would also be happy to offer to pay for his dry cleaning bill or buy him a new shirt, maybe with a few more buttons at the top.' Doggy double Britain's Got Talent branded a 'fix' by fuming viewers after 'wrong act' gets through to finals 13 2015 Britain's Got Talent finalist Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse Credit: Splash News 13 A different dog was used for part of the final act Credit: PA:Press Association Outraged viewers felt cheated when it transpired that they had been misled by winner of series nine, Jules O'Dwyer, about her dancing dog Matisse. The winning performance included a tightrope walk but it was revealed the next day that a different dog stepped in for that part of the act. Jules defended her decision to employ a stand in, stating that the real Matisse was afraid of heights. Ofcom received hundreds of complaints over the 2015 incident, with people even sending death threats to the pair. It was ruled that ITV had misled the public - though Jules was not stripped of her £250,00 prize money. Shock injury 13 The team members collided in mid-air during a stunt Credit: Rex 13 The South Korean group lost out to singer Sydnie Christmas in the 2024 final Credit: Rex Performance troupe Ssaulabi were midway through their stunt-filled routine when two of its members collided mid-air, with horrific consequences. One teammate fell to the stage and landed awkwardly on his foot, before trying to stand up and collapsing. Judge Alesha Dixon recoiled in horror as the performer was forced to crawl off the stage in agony. It was later revealed he had broken his foot. A BGT statement issued the following morning read: "During last night's live final, a member of Ssaulabi Performance Troupe was injured. "He was quickly seen by our onsite medical team before going to hospital for further treatment. All at BGT wish him a speedy recovery.'" Fix claims 13 Kojo Anim was in the 2020 BGT final Credit: Rex Features 13 Alesha was accused of voting for Kojo because he was her friend When comedian Kojo Anim was voted through to the final in 2020, judge Alesha Dixon was accused of voting for him because they are good friends. Alesha reportedly knew Kojo through her husband, dancer Azuka Ononye, and she toldher fellow judges and the audience: 'I have known Kojo for many, many years.' The Mis-teeq singer was also accused of favouritism when she sent contestant Lifford Shillingford through to the final with her golden buzzer. It later emerged Alesha already knew Lifford from back in the day when he'd supported Mis-teeq on tour. Alesha hit back though and said: "He's not a friend. That sounds cold, but I don't have his phone number. "I haven't seen him in years. When I say I know him, I know his music. I remember him from back in the day. There were shows that Mis-Teeq were doing that he was too. There was just a mutual respect and understanding between us." Anonymous blog 13 An anonymous blog claimed the star knew Simon Cowell before the show Credit: ITV 13 Ronan Parke performed on the show in 2011 Credit: ITV Back in 2011, an anonymous blogger accused child star Ronan Parke of having connections to show boss Simon Cowell before appearing for the show. Ronan was the runner-up after losing out to Scottish singer Jai McDowall in the final. The blogger claimed to be an anonymous Sony Music source who said that no act had won the show who hadn't been an "invited or preferred" contestant. And they claimed that Simon had known Ronan for two years and that the youngster had signed a deal with his record label. After being questioned by police, the blogger apologised and admitted having no connection to Cowell, Syco or Ronan. A spokeswoman for Sony Music said at the time: "A man has now admitted responsibility for the wholly untrue blogs relating to Ronan Parke and the false allegations against Britain's Got Talent, Sony Music and Syco. He has admitted he has absolutely no connection with Ronan Parke, Sony Music, Syco, or Britain's Got Talent.' Nepo baby claims 13 BGT bosses defended Issy after Nepo baby hate Credit: PA:Press Association 13 Issy Simpson during the audition stage for ITV1's talent show Credit: PA:Press Association In 2017, eight-year-old Issy Simpson won her place in the final after stunning the audience and judges by reading Simon Cowell's mind. But her joy at making it to the final was tarnished after it was revealed that her grandad was well known in the magic world and was the main magic man behind the scenes for BGT. BGT bosses defended Issy and said she had won her spot fair and square saying: 'Russ Stevens (Issy's grandad) is a magic expert, who was used as a freelance magic consultant for two shows only in 2014. He has not been contracted since. 'Issy went through the same process as any other act and was judged on her performance on the day.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is in the Britain's Got Talent final after golden buzzer twist?
Britain's Got Talent (BGT) has been putting acts through after its first semi-final. The finalists will compete in the hotly-anticipated live final in May. The winner will get the chance to perform at The Royal Variety Show attended by King Charles as well as a £250,000 cash prize. Last year's winner was singer Sydney Christmas. Britain's Got Talent was supersized this year, seeing the live semi-finals taking place over six Saturdays instead of back-to-back over a week. The golden buzzer twist has stirred up some controversy, where one act can be sent into the final by the judges. Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli returned to their judging panel for the semi-final at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London over the weekend. Guest judge KSI will return to the series at a later date. The first live show was at times chaotic, with the main surprise seeing eight-year-old magician Teddy Magic pull out last minute but TV bosses hope he will return to perform at one of the later semi-finals. So who are the acts who have made it through to the final? Stacey Leadbeatter secured her place in the final after winning the backing of the public vote in the live semi-final. The singer stunned the audiences at home with her performance of Anyone by Demi Lovato. Watch Stacey Leadbeatter perform Demi Lovato song Going into the semi-final, she said winning would leave her speechless. "I can't even begin to put into words what it would mean to me if I was lucky enough to be crowned the winner," she said. "But it would be the biggest and best moment of my life other than the birth of my little girl. I have watched BGT since the first show and it would be like a full circle moment." It's not only the audience choosing who is going through to the final. Olly Pearson was given the gift of the semi-final golden buzzer. The young guitarist, 11, put on an energetic performance with his electric guitar at the Eventim Apollo. Britain's Got Talent boss Simon Cowell was impressed and he hit the semi-final Golden Buzzer for the youngster. Watch Olly Pearson's performance Ahead of the semi-final, Pearson revealed he would love to "rock out" with the royal family if he won the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance. He had said: "There are so many amazing acts this year. I am just really happy to be part of it. Honestly if I won and got the chance to play my guitar at the Royal Variety Performance, it would be awesome! Imagine the Royals rocking out with me." McKee was the first to get a spot in the BGT grand final after he got the most votes from the public. The Scottish singer impressed the viewers at home with his own opera twist on Snow Patrol's song Chasing Cars. Watch Vinne McKee's Chasing Cars performance Going into the semi-final, McKee had said it would be life-changing to win Britain's Got Talent. He said: "That is a dream. It would change my whole life. Just getting as far as I have has been like living a dream." He added: "My ultimate dream has been the same my whole life. I want to tour, sing to large audiences and let the world hear my original music and my versions of classics. I would love one day for people to open YouTube and Spotify and choose me as their go to artist." In a twist to the semi-finals, dance group The Blackouts were also sent through to the final. Judge Holden pressed the golden buzzer in the latest change to the show's format. The Blackouts put on a memorable lights show as they dance in the dark with the lights on their costumes telling a story through their movements. Ahead of the live show, the new golden buzzer rules were explained. ITV confirmed: "In each semi-final, either one of the judges or Ant and Dec will be given control of the golden buzzer, and as soon as they see a performance worthy of a place in the final, they will have just one opportunity to press it. That act will be granted a one-way ticket to the final, along with one other act from that night who will be voted in by the public." Watch The Blackouts' semi-final performance that got the golden buzzer Going into the semi-final, The Blackouts spoke about what winning the show would mean to them. The dance group said: "It would be the honour of a lifetime. We've spent over ten years perfecting this show, mostly behind the scenes, in the dark, literally and figuratively. To be crowned the winners would mean that our story, our work, and our message have truly reached the hearts of the British public. That would be the most beautiful reward we could imagine." They added: "Our biggest dream is to share our show with people all over the world and especially here in the UK, where we've already felt such a strong connection. We want to perform on the biggest stages, but more than that, we want to bring joy, light, and wonder to audiences everywhere. BGT feels like the start of something huge, and we're ready to give it everything." Britain's Got Talent's live semi-finals continue on Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.