On Wednesday’s episode of Good Morning Britain, showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold dropped a bombshell about the upcoming series of Britain’s Got Talent.
Chatting with presenters Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins, the entertainment reporter announced that there’s going to be a substantial change in how the semi-finals work.
Richard excitedly declared: “I can exclusively reveal another change to this year’s format, introducing the brand new live semi-final golden buzzer!
“For the first time in BGT history, the buzzer will now appear during the live rounds. It has already been pressed eight times this series.”
Previously, when the golden buzzer made its debut in 2014, it was meant for each judge and presenting duo Ant and Dec to have one chance to press it, rocketing an act from the auditions directly into the semi-finals.
Nevertheless, the judges haven’t exactly stuck to that single-use policy and have hit the buzzer more than once throughout different audition stages, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Currently, ITV viewers have seen acts like Vinnie McKee, Will Burns, Stacey Leadbetter, Olly Pearson, The Blackouts and Linda Mudzenda all benefit from the golden buzzer.
Elaborating on how the new twist will play out, Richard explained: “This year, one judge or Ant and Dec will be allowed to use the golden buzzer in the semi-finals as well.
“It’ll give their chosen act a spot in the grand finale in May. The other acts will then face the public vote as usual.”
To which, Charlotte Hawkins responded with amusement: “They (the judges) are going to be fighting over that, aren’t they?!”
There’s been a shake-up in the format of the long-standing talent show this year, with changes to how the semi-finals will be broadcast.
Traditionally, the semi-finals would take place nightly over one week leading up to the live final. But this time around, they’re set to span five weeks, starting on April 26.
In another twist for this season, BGT audiences witnessed KSI joining the panel as a guest judge. Prior to his stint on the show, he expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m so excited to be a guest judge for Britain’s Got Talent. When I got the call-up, I couldn’t believe it.”
He reminisced about his own experiences with the show, saying, “I remember watching old BGT episodes and going from being amazed to laughing my arse off. I’m buzzing to see all the fresh new talent, and I’ll be sure to leave a mark!”
Britain’s Got Talent continues on Saturday on ITV at 7pm. Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITVX.
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