Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Talent no-show
Virus may postpone BGT final until next year
BRITAIN’S Got Talent bosses fear that the chances of the live finals taking place later this year are looking “very slim”.
Producers are increasingly pessimistic that the week-long round of semis plus the grand final will happen in 2020, having initially hoped that they could be staged in the autumn.
As well as the problems with having a live audience amid Covid-19, bosses believe that bringing back some of the best acts will simply not be possible.
Most problematic is Sign Along With Us, a choir of adults and children. Some members are disabled, while others have disabled relatives.
They are David Walliams’ golden buzzer act, sent through to the semifinals after their audition in April. Also tricky are X1X Crew, 30 dancers from India who reached the semis of India’s Got Talent in 2015, and are one of the favourites for the UK title.
An insider said: “The initial plan was that the final could be filmed this autumn, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely. We can’t imagine an audience of that size being allowed.
“Can we do it without an audience? Yes. But would we want to? No. And then there are the acts. We’re going to put all those people in that choir together? You’re going to fly over that dance troupe from India? No, we don’t think that it’s going to happen. I’d say its chances were very slim.” ”
But ITV is hopeful that the final of The Voice can be staged later in 2020.
Last night, a BGT source insisted they were still planning for the final to air later this year. ITV said in a statement earlier this year that the finals would air this autumn.
An Irish children’s dance group, House of Swag, aimed at helping members improve their mental health will impress the judges tonight.
BGT is on ITV tonight at 8pm.