Fewer foreign acts, sack Bruno: 7 ways to fix Britain’s Got Talent
Amid falling ratings and fix claims, Britain’s Got Talent badly needs a reboot. Viewership for Sunday’s final hit an all-time low with an average 5.2m tuning in – less than one third of the show’s audience at its peak. I’ve watched the series since its start in 2007, for my sins. Here are my seven ways to restore BGT to its former glory…
1. Fewer foreign acts
Grumbles about the show’s lack of Britishness grew steadily in volume during the week of live semi-finals, which were dominated by foreign performers. Every other act seemed to hail from Japan or Eastern Europe. The public vote corrected this imbalance, meaning only four non-British acts made it through to the 11-strong final. Now the producers and judges need to listen and learn.
Sure, occasional acts from overseas add excitement and raise the overall standard. Too many imports, though, undermine the entire premise. The show had just two foreign entrants in the debut series and no foreign finalists for the first six years – when BGT happened to be in its pomp. Use all the Union flag graphics you like but unless homegrown acts take priority, it feels like a global showcase, not a UK talent search. More than half of this year’s Golden Buzzer acts were foreigners. Viewers called it a violation of the Trade Descriptions Act. More British talent please. The clue is right there in the programme title.
2. Give Simon Cowell his bite back
It’s hard to imagine head honcho Simon Cowell firing himself, not least because his global fame adds prestige to the panel. Many acts admit that he’s the judge they really want to impress. However, the 64-year-old music mogul has been so mellowed by age and fatherhood that he’s a shadow of his former self. Which is probably nice for him but doesn’t exactly entertain us.
The boss needs to be told to sharpen his critiques. Press the red buzzer more often. Wave weak auditionees off-stage. Tell them they’re rubbish. We don’t want cuddly Cowell, we want claws-out catty Cowell. While we’re at it, can he also lose those red-tinted spectacles? They’re apparently to prevent migraines but they make him resemble a cross between Elton John, Anne Robinson and Velma from Scooby-Doo.
3. Sack at least one of the other judges
Amanda Holden is probably safe. She’s been there from the start, is second-in-command and her eye-popping frocks are a reliable source of headlines. When Cowell was made to wear a “lie-detecting hat” during Sunday’s final, she cannily made him vow to renew her contract. But it was awkward how he declined to promise anything to fellow panellists Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli. Both add little to the mix, invariably agreeing with their colleagues. Alesha overpraises children and street dancers. Bruno rises out of his seat and waves his arms around. That’s about it.
A straight-talking judge is needed, the role that Piers Morgan was originally hired to fill. We need a judge to say “no”, preferably amusingly. The equivalent of Nasty Nigel Lythgoe, Paul Hollywood, Craig Revel Horwood or Dancing on Ice’s Jason Gardiner. Since David Walliams’s controversial exit, the panel also badly lacks a comedian to poke fun at the entire enterprise.
4. Restore some variety
BGT is supposed to be an old-fashioned variety contest but it distinctly lacks variety. Each year, the field is crammed with choirs, cutesy kids, high-concept magicians, dance troupes and singers (many of whom belong on a vocal contest anyway). Seven of the show’s 17 winners have been musical turns. All but four have been exclusively male. More dogs have won than solo women.
The beauty of a variety show is its eclectic nature. The way you never know what to expect next. Where are all the impressionists, mime artists and puppeteers? Whither sketch comedians, clowns and ventriloquists? Let’s encourage more circus performers, end-of-pier acts and eccentrics with unusual talents. Things that hark back to the days of music hall and vaudeville. Audiences like to be amused and surprised, not hit with the same old predictable stuff.
5. Reward amateurs, not professionals
A talent search should be predominantly aimed at plucky amateurs looking for their big break. Instead it’s been increasingly hijacked by people who are already semi-pro performers. The new champion, Sydnie Christmas, is a stage school alumna who has already sung on the West End stage and had a record deal. No wonder viewers cried “fix!” when she triumphed. In fourth place was South African tenor Innocent Masuku, who has starred at the English National Opera.
Genuine novices are more deserving of such a primetime platform. The first ever winner, Paul Potts, was working in Carphone Warehouse when he entered. Its first viral star, Susan Boyle, was a semi-reclusive unknown. These are the rags-to-riches stories that engage viewers, not an established act looking for a leg-up. With social media and Google at their fingertips, viewers quickly rumble it when the game is rigged.
6. Make the golden buzzer mean something again
The Golden Buzzer was introduced in series eight as a way to add jeopardy to auditions. When an act wows enough for a judge to hit it, music strikes up, confetti falls and the recipient is sent straight through to the live semi-finals, with the button-presser becoming their mentor.
However, it’s been devalued in the past two series. Last year, there were eight Golden Buzzer acts. This time, it rose to nine. It was pressed twice during the series-opener alone. Cowell and Holden’s children even pressed it for Japanese skipping troupe Haribow, making it even more of a mockery. Give the judges one apiece. Ant and Dec get one too. Limiting the accolade to five acts would restore credibility and make it more special.
7. Shake up the series format
Stripping the live semi-finals across the week’s schedules might work for the production team – they book out the Eventim Apollo for a full week and can keep the set in place – but it simply doesn’t work for viewers at home. Six nights of BGT out of seven is overload, especially when each episode runs to two hours or more. Fatigue sets in. Nobody can summon up enthusiasm for the grand final.
There are rumours of a revamp in 2025, which would be welcome. ITV bosses reportedly want to extend BGT over three months so it runs from February to May, compensating for the absence of Saturday Night Takeaway. It works for Strictly, they say, so why not BGT? We’re unconvinced. Saturday night audition shows, two semi-finals over a Bank Holiday weekend and the grand final a week later would surely be preferable.
How would you fix Britain’s Got Talent? Please let us know in the comments below.
