Storm blacks out BGT
Lightning takes show off air
SIMON Cowell was finally silenced last night when a huge electrical storm blacked out Britain’s Got Talent.
The show’s first semi-final vanished from TV screens as fierce thunder and lightning exploded outside.
The freak weather knocked out the satellite signal beaming the live show from the Hammersmith Apollo, west London.
It was bad news for hopefuls Cali Swing who were midway through their routine. Instead ITV showed old footage of auditions and screened a message saying sorry for “the disruption to our schedule”.
The show returned 10 minutes later with Simon and his fellow judges cracking gags about the interruption.
Declan Donnelly – hosting the show for the first time without partner Ant McPartlin – told viewers: “The weather here in London has caused technical difficulties.
“Some of part one’s show didn’t reach you at home.”
Simon, 58, joked that the unexpected blackout may have been been caused by absent Ant, who pulled the plug because he was not on the show. He laughed: “I was just going to say. Ant? You are coming back next year. You don’t have to do that.”
An ITV source said later: “There was a massive storm which momentarily interrupted the feed and the team worked as quickly as they could to rectify this.” The show started with Dec, 42, joking about Ant’s absence. He said nothing had changed, with the same judges and format, then quipped: “And the presenters... well, probably best not to dwell on that.”
Ant, also 42, stepped back from his presenting commitments after he was fined and banned for drink-driving.
Hot TV: Page 27