Britain's Got Talent winner Sydney Christmas Photo: Tom Diamond
Amid falling ratings and correcting claims, Britain's Got Talent #39;s Got Talent bad results need a reboot. Viewership for Sunday's finale hit a record low, with an average of 5.2 million viewers – less than a third of the show's audience at its peak. I've been watching the show since it started in 2007, for my sins. Here are my seven ways to bring BGT back to its former glory…
Fewer foreign acts
During a week of live semi-finals dominated by foreign acts, the volume of dissatisfaction over the show's lack of British character grew steadily. All the other artists seemed to be from Japan or Eastern Europe. Public voting corrected this imbalance, meaning only four non-British acts qualified for the 11-person final. Now producers and judges need to listen and learn.
Of course, the occasional performance from abroad adds excitement and raises the overall level. However, too much import undermines the whole idea. There were only two foreign contestants in the show's debut series and there were no foreign finalists for the first six years – when BGT was in its prime. Use whatever Union flag graphic you like, but if homegrown acts aren't prioritized it will feel like a global showcase rather than a UK talent search. More than half of this year's Golden Buzzer participants were foreigners. Viewers called it a violation of the Trade Descriptions Act. More British talent please. The hint is right in the name of the program.
Give Simon Cowell a piece back
It's hard to imagine kingpin Simon Cowell quitting, not least because his global fame adds prestige to the group. Many artists admit that he is the judge they really want to impress. But the 64-year-old music mogul has been so mellowed by age and fatherhood that he has become a shadow of his former self. It's probably nice for him, but it doesn't exactly entertain us.
The boss needs to be told to toughen up his criticism. Press the red buzzer more often. Wave to weak audience members off stage. Tell them they are trash. We don't want nice Cowell, we want cat-like Cowell with claws. While we're on the subject, might he also lose those red glasses? Apparently they're meant to prevent migraines, but they make him look like a cross between Elton John, Anne Robinson and Velma from Scooby-Doo.
Toothless: Simon Cowell needs to get his mojo back. Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP At least one of the other judges should be sacked
Amanda Holden is probably safe. She's been there from the beginning, is second-in-command, and her eye-popping dresses are a reliable source of headlines. When Cowell was forced to wear a “lie detection hat” during Sunday's finale, she cleverly made him vow to renew her contract. But it was awkward how he refused to promise anything to fellow panellists Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli. Both add little to this, invariably agreeing with their colleagues. Alyosha praises the children and street dancers. Bruno stands up from his seat and waves his arms. That's all.
A straightforward judge is needed, a role for which Piers Morgan was originally hired. We need the judge to say no, preferably in a funny way. Nasty's equivalent of Nigel Lythgow, Paul Hollywood, Craig Revel Horwood or Jason Gardiner from Dancing on Ice. Following the controversial departure of David Walliams, the group are also sorely lacking a comedian to satirize the whole enterprise.
Restore Diversity
BGT is supposed to be an old-fashioned variety competition, but it's clearly lacking in diversity. Every year the field is filled with choirs, cute kids, top-notch magicians, dance troupes and singers (many of whom compete in the singing competition anyway). Seven of the show's 17 winners became musical performers. All but four were exclusively male. More dogs won than single women.
The beauty of variety is its eclecticism. You never know what to expect next. Where are all the impressionists, mimes and puppeteers? Where are the sketch comedians, clowns and ventriloquists? Let's encourage more circus performers, wharf performers and eccentrics with unusual talents. Stuff that recalls the days of music hall and vaudeville. Audiences like to be amused and surprised, not surprised by the same predictable stuff.
Reward amateurs, not professionals
The talent search should be aimed primarily at intrepid amateurs looking for their big break. Instead, it is increasingly being taken over by people who are already semi-professional performers. The new champion, Sydney Christmas, is a drama school graduate who has already sung on the West End stage and had a recording contract. Unsurprisingly, the crowd shouted “fix it” when she won. Fourth place went to South African tenor Innocent Masuku, who has performed with English National Opera.
True newcomers are more deserving of such a prime-time platform. The first winner, Paul Potts, was working at Carphone Warehouse when he entered. His first viral star, Susan Boyle, was an unknown semi-recluse. Viewers are drawn to rags-to-riches stories rather than established actors looking for a foothold. With social media and Google at their fingertips, viewers quickly know when the game is rigged.
Make the golden buzzer mean something again
The golden buzzer was introduced in season eight as a way to add some danger to the auditions. When the performance is so impressive that the judge has scored it, music plays, confetti falls, and the recipient is sent straight to the live semi-finals, with the button pusher becoming their mentor.
However, it has been devalued over the last two episodes. Last year there were eight Golden Buzzer performances. This time it rose to nine. Only during the opening of the series was it pressed twice. Cowell and Holden's children even insisted it was for the Japanese jumping troupe Haribow, making it an even bigger joke. Give the judges one each. Ant and Dec get one too. Limiting the award to five acts would restore trust and make it more special.
Veteran: Amanda Holden has been with the show since its inception. Photo: Television Stills Shake up series format
Removing live semi-finals from the weekly schedule may benefit the production team – they've booked the Eventim Apollo for a full week and can leave the set in place, but for viewers at home it just doesn't work. Six nights of BGT out of seven is an overload, especially when each episode is two hours or more. Fatigue sets in. No one can get excited about the grand final.
There are rumors of a revamp in 2025, which would be welcome. ITV chiefs are reported to want to extend BGT by three months to run from February to May, making up for the absence of Saturday Night Takeaway. They say it works for Strictly, so why not BGT? We're not convinced. Saturday night auditions, two semi-finals over the bank holiday weekend and a grand final a week later would certainly be preferable.
How would you fix Britain's Got Talent? Please let us know in the comments below.
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