Britain 's Got Talent - wikipedia Britain 's Got Talent For the most recent series, see Britain 's Got Talent ( series 12 ). For Got Talent around the world, see Got Talent. Britain 's Got Talent Genre Talent show Created by Simon Cowell Directed by Jonathan Bullen Presented by Anthony McPartlin Declan Donnelly Judges Simon Cowell Amanda Holden Piers Morgan David Hasselhoff Michael McIntyre Alesha Dixon David Walliams Voices of Peter Dickson Country of origin United Kingdom Original language ( s ) English No. of series 12 No. of episodes 184 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) Nigel Hall Lee McNicholas Amelia Brown Richard Holloway Producer ( s ) Matt Banks Charlie Irwin Paul Jones Location ( s ) Auditions : Various Live shows : Fountain Studios ( 2007 - 2016 ) Elstree Studios ( 2017 ) Hammersmith Apollo ( 2018 ) Running time 60 -- 155 minutes Production company ( s ) Syco Entertainment Talkback Thames ( 2007 -- 11 ) Thames ( 2012 -- ) Distributor FremantleMedia Release Original network ITV Picture format SDTV : 576i ( 2007 -- 10 ) HDTV : 1080i ( 2011 -- ) Original release 9 June 2007 ( 2007 - 06 - 09 ) -- Present Chronology Related shows Britain 's Got More Talent Got Talent ( franchise ) External links Official website Britain 's Got Talent ( often abbreviated to BGT ) is a British talent show competition, and is part of the Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. Produced by both Thames ( formerly Talkback Thames ) and Syco Entertainment production, and distributed by FremantleMedia, it has been broadcast on ITV since June 2007, and hosted by Ant & Dec. To accompany each series since it first began, a sister show is run on ITV2 entitled Britain 's Got More Talent presented by Stephen Mulhern. Contestants of any age, who possess some sort of talent, can audition for the show, with their performance judged by a panel of judges ; the current lineup consists of Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Walliams. Those that make it through the auditions compete against other acts in a series of live semi-finals, with the winning two acts of each semi-final proceeding into the show 's live final. The prize for winning the contest is a cash prize ( the amount varying over the show 's history ), and an opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in front of members of the British Royal Family, including either Queen Elizabeth II or the Prince of Wales. To date, the show has had twelve winners, ranging from musicians and singers to variety acts, magicians and dancers. A significant show in British popular culture, Britain 's Got Talent is the UK 's biggest television talent competition, ahead of both The X Factor ( also created by Cowell ) and The Voice UK, with the show 's live final in the third series attracting 17.3 million viewers, a 64.6 % audience share at the time of its broadcast. At present, the programme is contracted to run until 2019. Contents 1 History 2 Format 2.1 Auditions 2.2 Judges ' decisions 2.3 Semi-finals and Final 3 Judges 4 Series overview 4.1 Series 1 ( 2007 ) 4.2 Series 2 ( 2008 ) 4.3 Series 3 ( 2009 ) 4.4 Series 4 ( 2010 ) 4.5 Series 5 ( 2011 ) 4.6 Series 6 ( 2012 ) 4.7 Series 7 ( 2013 ) 4.8 Series 8 ( 2014 ) 4.9 Series 9 ( 2015 ) 4.10 Series 10 ( 2016 ) 4.11 Series 11 ( 2017 ) 4.12 Series 12 ( 2018 ) 5 Britain 's Got More Talent 6 Awards and nominations 7 Controversies and criticism 8 Live tour 9 Merchandise 9.1 BGT App 10 References 11 External links History Ant & Dec have hosted the show together since it began in 2007, except for the live shows in 2018. Cowell is primarily responsible for the show 's creation, and has served as a judge since it began in 2007. The show 's format was devised by X Factor creator and Sony Music executive, Simon Cowell, who was involved in the creation of other Got Talent programmes across several different countries. To showcase his idea, a pilot episode was filmed in September 2005, with the judging panel consisting of Cowell, Fern Britton ( at the time, presenter of This Morning ), as well as tabloid journalist Piers Morgan. The pilot was not broadcast on television until it was shown as part of a documentary series entitled The Talent Show Story in January 2012. The original plan for the show was for it to be aired within 2005 -- 2006, before the broadcast of America 's Got Talent, with Paul O'Grady presenting the programme under the title Paul O'Grady's Got Talent, after having hosted the pilot. His selection as the host in the original production plans was due to the popularity he was attaining from his teatime chat show, The Paul O'Grady Show. However, complications arose when O'Grady was involved in a row with ITV and refused to appear on another of the broadcaster 's programme, eventually defecting to Channel 4 to continue hosting his teatime show and effectively putting plans for the show on hold. In a 2010 interview, O'Grady commented about the row by stating : `` I did the pilot for Britain 's Got Talent -- which was originally going to be called Paul O'Grady's Got Talent. But I told the producers they were having a joke if they thought I would front a show with that title. The original panel of judges was going to be Simon Cowell, Fern Britton and Piers Morgan. I was the host. Then when I had the row with ITV I was banned from the studios. I remember I rang Simon and told him he had a huge hit on his hands, but there was no way I could do it. I said, if I am banned I have to be banned from everything. I ca n't be a hypocrite and come in and do this. I had to bow out. '' On 12 February 2007, following the success of America 's Got Talent the previous year, ITV announced their intentions for a British series of Got Talent. Their announcement revealed changes to the original plan for the programme, with Ant & Dec revealed to be the hosts for the new programme. While Cowell remained as part of the judging panel, the new plan intended for David Hasselhoff and Cheryl Cole. However, both resigned before the programme was due to air, leading to Morgan being part of the panel as originally planned, and actress Amanda Holden joining him and Cowell as a judge ; Hasselhoff would later join the panel for the programme 's fifth series after being a part of the panel for America 's Got Talent, while Cowell later employed Cole to be a replacement for Sharon Osbourne on The X Factor. At the same time, the broadcaster also announced that the show would be accompanied by a sister show on ITV2, entitled Britain 's Got More Talent, with Stephen Mulhern as its presenter. Format Auditions The show holds two rounds of auditions for contestants. The first round, referred to as the `` open auditions '', are held across several different cities around the UK during the Autumn months. The second round, referred to as the `` Judges ' Auditions '', are held the following year during January and February, prior to the broadcast of the show later that year during spring or early summer - these auditions consists of the contestants who made it through the first round, and are held within a select set of cities, which has commonly included Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London. For the Judges ' Auditions, each site used for these is located within a theatre or convention hall. These sites are primarily chosen for the purpose of having facilities that can handle large volumes of contestants, with each set up into three arrangements when auditions are taking place : a waiting area for contestants to prepare and await their turn to perform, with monitors to allow them to see the performances of other contestants ; the wings, where a contestant enters and leaves from, and where friends and family of the contestant can view them from ; and the main stage, where the contestant performs their act before the judging panel, who are located in front of the stage. The main stage area is usually modified to include the judges ' panel desk, along with a special lighting rig above the stage, consisting of Xs that each have the name of a judge under them. Each contestant that auditions is given a number by the production team and remains in the waiting area until called out into the wings, giving them a certain amount of time to prepare their act. Upon being allowed onto the main stage, they will usually be asked by one of the judges for their name and what they plan to perform, along with other details such as age, occupation, personal background, and what they wish to achieve if they won. After this, they are then given three minutes to conduct their performance before both the judges and a live audience, with some acts being supported by a backing track provided by the production team. If at any time, the judges find the performance to be unconvincing, boring or completely wrong, they may use the buzzer before them, which changes the Xs from white to red ; if all the judges press their buzzers, then the performance is immediately over. However, a judge can retract their buzzer 's use if they felt they had done so prematurely before witnessing a contest 's performance to the end ; this is true if the performance appears to look bad, but later turns out to have been good in their eyes. Once a performance is over, each judge will give an overview of what they thought about the act, before casting a vote. If the contestant ( s ) receives a majority vote of `` Yes '', they then proceed onto the next stage in the contest, otherwise they are eliminated from that series ' contest. In Series 8, a new feature was added to the auditions, which had been previously used on Germany 's Got Talent, called the `` Golden Buzzer ''. Situated in the centre of the judges ' desk, the Golden Buzzer allows a judge to effectively send the contestant ( s ) into the live semi-finals, regardless of the opinions of the other judges, if they felt that a contestant 's performance was outstanding ; when pressed, the judge 's X turns gold and the stage is showered in gold glitter strips. However, as a general rule, they may only press it once per series and can not press it again in later auditions ; the hosts of Britain 's Got Talent may also press the Golden Buzzer for a contestant, but must also adhere to the same rule. Filming for the show begins during the Judges ' Auditions, with footage that is recorded in these being edited into a series of episodes that are aired on a weekly schedule before the live semi-finals, and featuring the best highlights of the auditions, including those from the best performances the judges saw, to the worst that appeared, whether funny, poorly conceived or generally bad, and in some cases totally inappropriate. These episodes also include interviews with the contestants in a separate area, as well as additional interviews conducted within the wings before and after a performance, that are conducted by the hosts, who also give personal comments about a performance while watching from the wings. Judges ' decisions This stage takes place after the auditions have been completed, and is also referred to as Deliberation Day, in which the judges look through the acts that have successfully made it to this stage, and begin whittling them down to those who would stand a fair chance in the live semi-finals. The amount that goes through has varied over the show 's history, though usually consists of a number that can be divided equally over the semi-finals being held in a series. Once the judges have decided on who will go through, all contestants that have reached this stage are called back to discover if they will progress into the live semi-finals or not. After this has been done, the acts are divided up between the semi-finals that the series will have ; usually eight in each series, except for the sixth to tenth series which had nine acts per semi-final. For the fifth series, some acts were asked to perform again, as the judges had had difficulty coming to a final decision on the semi-finalist, and thus needed to see their performance again in order to make up their minds ; it is only time in the show 's history that this has happened, and has not been repeated since. Semi-finals and final Contestants that make it into the semi-finals by making it through the auditions and being chosen by the judges ( or, from series 8, received the Golden Buzzer during their audition ), perform once more before an audience and the judges, with their performance broadcast on live television. Until the tenth series, live episodes were broadcast from The Fountain Studios in Wembley, the same site used for The X Factor, but following its closure in 2016, the show relocated its live episodes to Elstree Studios in 2017, before moving to Hammersmith Apollo the following year. Like the Audition stage of the contest, each semi-finalist must attempt to impress by primarily conducting a new routine of their act within the same span of time ; the judges can still use a buzzer if they are displeased with a performance and can end it early if all the buzzers are used, along with giving a personal opinion about an act when the performance is over. Of the semi-finalists that take part, only two can progress into the final, which is determined by two different types of votes - a public phone vote, and a judges ' vote. The phone vote, which occurs after all the semi-finalists have performed, determines the first winner of the semi-final and takes place via a special phone line over a short break from the programme. During this time, the public votes for the act they liked best, through a phone number in which the final two digits are different for each semi-finalist - these digits are primarily arranged by the order of their appearance. Once the lines have closed and the votes have been counted, the programme airs a live results episode, in which the semi-finalist with the highest number of votes automatically moves into the final. The second winner is determined by the judges ' vote, which held after the results of the phone vote have been given out, and determines whether the second or third most popular semi-finalist in the public vote moves on to the final. The judges ' vote, held after the result of the phone vote, determines the second act that wins this stage, and is conducted between the second and third most popular acts the public voted on. After the number of judges was increased to four, the rule on the judges ' vote was modified - if the vote is tied, the semi-finalist with the second highest tally of public votes automatically moves on to the final. For the eleventh series only, the judges ' vote was not used, meaning that the finalists were determined by the public vote only - the semi-finalists in each semi-final for this series with the highest and second - highest tally of votes, moved on to the final. From the start of the sixth series, the show introduced a new format known as the `` Judges ' Wildcard '', in which the judges can reinstate an act that had been eliminated from the semi-final, through a private vote conducted before the airing of the final. This format was later expanded to include a `` Public Wildcard '', in which the public could vote on an act that had been eliminated in the semi-finals during the judges ' vote and reinstate it for the final ; although used in the ninth and tenth series, this format was dropped for the eleventh series. For the final of each series, the format of the contest operates in exactly the same manner as the semi-finals, including being broadcast live on television, though this time the winner is determined purely by a phone vote, with the finalists attempting to secure more votes than the others by performing a new routine at their best. Upon the result being given, the top two acts are brought onto the stage, with the hosts announcing which of them received the most votes. The winner of each year 's contest receives a cash prize, and earns the opportunity to perform in the Royal Variety Performance later that year. For the show 's scheduling, the live episodes are usually arranged to take place over the course of a week, with the semi-finals aired mainly on weekdays, and the final aired on the weekend ; in some series, the schedule featured a break between the live episodes of the semi-finals, due to coverage of live events. All live episodes are divided into two parts when they are aired - the first half focuses on performances, each beginning with a short clip of the semi-finalist / finalist 's background, and ending with comments by the judges ; the second half occurs after voting is closed, usually after another programme has aired between the two parts, and focuses on the results of the phone vote, with a guest performance taking place prior to the announcement of the results. This format was initially used for the live finals only, up until the start of the semi-finals in the fourth series. Judges Holden is the longest serving judge on the show, only being absent in a few episodes in 2012 due to health reasons. Hasselhoff previously worked as a judge on America 's Got Talent, before joining the show for the 2011 series. For the first four series after the show began in June 2007, the judging panel consisted of music executive and television producer Simon Cowell, television and West End star Amanda Holden, and newspaper editor and journalist Piers Morgan. In 2009, the producers made plans to alter the show 's format to allow for a fourth judge when the third series was set to begin, with plans for Kelly Brook to be the new judge on the panel. Less than a week after the series began, the producers dropped this change on the belief that this alteration to the show 's format would complicate it, resulting in Brooks being credited as a guest judge for that series. In 2010, Cowell fell ill during filming of the fourth series and was unable to attend the Birmingham auditions, leading to Louis Walsh stepping in as a guest judge in his place, until he had recovered. In 2011, the panel saw its first major change, when Morgan revealed he was leaving the show to travel to America and begin filming of his new show. As Cowell had announced he would n't be present for the fifth series ' auditions, due to his busy schedule with launching The X Factor USA, the show 's producers decided to amend the panel, and recruited comedian Michael McIntyre, and actor, singer and former America 's Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff, to join Holden during the auditions, with Walsh returning as a guest judge for the London auditions due to Hasselhoff 's commitments with a pantomime at that time. When the series entered its live episodes, Cowell returned to oversee the acts as a fourth judge. Later that year, in October 2011, both Hasselhoff and McIntrye declined to return for the sixth series, while Cowell announced he was returning full - time to the show. On 2 January 2012, the producers revealed its decision to adopt the use of a fourth judge for the programme 's format, announcing that both Cowell and Holden would now be joined by David Walliams and Alesha Dixon for the sixth series, with the latter moving to the talent show after deciding to leave BBC 's Strictly Come Dancing. During filming in February, Holden was unable to attend the London auditions, due to having given birth to her daughter at that time which had led to her suffering some after - effects from her pregnancy. As a result, the producers brought in actress and model Carmen Electra as a guest judge until she recovered. In subsequent series, the line - up remained as Cowell, Holden, Walliams and Dixon, with no further incidents except for the eighth series in 2014 - Cowell missed the first day of the Manchester auditions, leading to Ant & Dec filling in for him, and was also absent for the final day of the London auditions - and the tenth series in 2016 - Cowell was late for an audition, and was temporarily replaced by Walliam 's mother Kathleen, who was attending it. Series Main Judge Guest Judge Simon Amanda Piers N / A N / A Kelly Louis 5 Michael David H. 6 Alesha David W. Carmen 7 N / A 8 Ant & Dec 9 N / A 10 Kathleen 11 N / A 12 Notes ^ Cowell was not present for auditions in the fifth series ; he served as a judge for the live shows only. ^ Brook was credited as a guest judge for the Manchester auditions, after the producers dropped plans for her to be a permanent judge in this series. ^ Walsh served as a guest judge in place of Cowell during the fourth series, and Hasselhoff during the fifth series. ^ Electra served as a guest judge in place of Holden, during the sixth series. ^ Ant & Dec served as guest judges in the eighth series, substituting for Cowell on the first day of the Manchester auditions. ^ David Walliams ' mother, Kathleen Williams, served as a guest judge in place of Cowell, while attending a session in the tenth series. Series overview See also : List of Britain 's Got Talent episodes and List of Britain 's Got Talent finalists Series Start Finish Winner 's prize Winner Runner - up Third place 9 June 2007 17 June 2007 £ 100,000 Paul Potts Connie Talbot Damon Scott 12 April 2008 31 May 2008 George Sampson Signature Andrew Johnston 11 April 2009 30 May 2009 Diversity Susan Boyle Julian Smith 17 April 2010 5 June 2010 Spelbound Twist and Pulse Kieran Gaffney 5 16 April 2011 4 June 2011 Jai McDowall Ronan Parke New Bounce 6 24 March 2012 12 May 2012 £ 500,000 Ashleigh and Pudsey Jonathan and Charlotte Only Boys Aloud 7 13 April 2013 8 June 2013 £ 250,000 Attraction Jack Carroll Richard & Adam 8 12 April 2014 7 June 2014 Collabro Lucy Kay Bars & Melody 9 11 April 2015 31 May 2015 Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse Jamie Raven Côr Glanaethwy 10 9 April 2016 28 May 2016 Richard Jones Wayne Woodward Boogie Storm 11 15 April 2017 3 June 2017 Tokio Myers Issy Simpson Daliso Chaponda 12 14 April 2018 3 June 2018 Lost Voice Guy Robert White Donchez Dacres Notes ^ In addition to the cash prize, winners also earn the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in the year they win. Series 1 ( 2007 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 1 ) The first series was aired during 2007, between 9 -- 17 June. Auditions for this series took place within the cities of Manchester, Birmingham, London and Cardiff, between January and February earlier that year. The series had 3 live semi-finals, featuring a total of 24 semi-finalists, all of whom were vying for a chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance, as well as claiming a £ 100,000 cash prize. The series was won by opera singer Paul Potts ; the results of the other finalists were not announced. Series 2 ( 2008 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 2 ) The second series was aired during 2008, between 12 April to 31 May, and featured notable differences. Not only did the series run for much longer, auditions took place in Blackpool and Glasgow, the latter following complaints that Scotland had n't been visited during the previous series, along with Manchester, Birmingham, London and Cardiff. In addition, the show had five live semi-finals, featuring a total of 40 semi-finalists. The series was won by street - dancer George Sampson, with dual dance group Signature coming in second, and singer Andrew Johnston placing third. Series 3 ( 2009 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 3 ) The third series was aired during 2009, between 11 April to 30 May, with auditions held in the same five cities as before. Initially, the producers intended to change the format by including a fourth judge on the panel, but this was later dropped a few days after auditions began. The series was won by dance troupe Diversity, with singer Susan Boyle coming in second, and saxophonist Julian Smith placing third. Series 4 ( 2010 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 4 ) The fourth series was aired during 2010, between 17 April to 5 June ; a single episode of this series, intended for airing on 22 May, was pushed back to 23 May, in order to avoid it clashing with live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final that year. The auditions were once more held across the same five cities as before, though the series also held auditions with Newcastle upon Tyne ; the city had been originally planned to hold auditions for the previous series, but these were cancelled before this could happen. Owing to illness, Cowell was unable to attend the Birmingham auditions, which led to Louis Walsh being in brought in as a guest judge for these. The series was won by gymnastic troupe Spelbound, with dancing duo Twist and Pulse coming in second, and drummer Kieran Gaffney placing third. Series 5 ( 2011 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 5 ) The fifth series was aired during 2011, between 16 April to 4 June, and was the first to be broadcast completely in high - definition ; like before, a single episode intended for airing on 28 May, was pushed back to 29 May, to avoid it clashing with live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final that year. Auditions took place across the same five cities, though also included Liverpool. This series saw a change in the judging panel, following Piers Morgan 's departure from the show, with Holden joined by David Hasselhoff and Michael McIntyre during the auditions ; Cowell appeared during the live episodes of the series with the rest of the panel, while Louis Walsh returned as a guest judge for the London auditions when Hasselhoff could n't attend due to other commitments at the time. The series was won by singer Jai McDowall, with singer Ronan Parke coming in second, and boyband New Bounce placing third. Series 6 ( 2012 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 6 ) The sixth series was aired during 2012, between 24 March and 12 May. For this series, the cash prize was increased from £ 100,000 to £ 500,000, and a new feature was introduced called the `` Wildcard '', in which the judges could select one of the acts eliminated in the semi-finals, to return and compete in the finals. The show also increased the number of semi-finalist for the semi-finals to 45, with nine acts per semi-final, and the number of judges for the entire contest to 4 ; the previous series also featured four judges, albeit for the live episodes only. In addition, the show attempted to bring in a new way of voting for the semi-finals via a mobile app, but this was suspended for the series after it suffered technical problems during the first live semi-final. This series featured an open audition in London, along with inviting other acts to audition via YouTube, before holding Judges ' Auditions within Birmingham, London, Manchester and Cardiff, Blackpool and Edinburgh. As both McIntyre and Hasselhoff announced in late 2011 they would n't be returning, the show announced on 2 January 2012 that they would be replaced by David Walliams and Alesha Dixon, and join both Holden and Cowell for the new series, the latter having announced he would be returning as a full - time judge on the show. Holden was unable to attend some of the auditions due to her pregnancy that year, leading to Carmen Electra stepping in as a guest judge for these. The series was won by trainer and dog duo Ashleigh and Pudsey, with opera duo Jonathan and Charlotte coming in second, and Welsh boys choir Only Boys Aloud placing third. Series 7 ( 2013 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 7 ) The seventh series was aired during 2013, between 13 April to 8 June ; the show took a break on the 29 May, due to live football coverage of England 's friendly with the Republic of Ireland. While the show retained the new features introduced in the previous series, the cash prize was reduced to £ 250,000, with the series featuring auditions within five cities - Birmingham, London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester. The series was won by shadow theatre troupe Attraction, with comedian Jack Carroll coming in second, and opera duo Richard & Adam placing third. Series 8 ( 2014 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 8 ) The eighth series aired during 2014, between 12 April to 7 June. This series was the first to introduce the `` Golden Buzzer '', and for the first time since the first series, auditions were not held in Scotland, instead being held in Northern Ireland within Belfast, along with Cardiff, London, Birmingham and Manchester ; Edinburgh joined these cities to hold open auditions in late 2013, along with Blackpool and Brighton, with additional open auditions held in various local branches of Morrisons within `` Talent Spot '' tents, owing to the show 's sponsorship deal with the supermarket chain at the time. The series was won by boy band Collabro, with opera singer Lucy Kay coming in second, and rapper duo Bars & Melody placing third. Series 9 ( 2015 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 9 ) The ninth series was aired during 2015, between 11 April to 31 May. This series saw the `` Wildcard '' feature updated ; along with the judges being able to put forth an eliminated act from the semi-finals into the final ( referred to as the Judges ' Wildcard ), the show now also allowed the public to vote between the three most popular eliminated acts, with the one with the highest number of votes going forward into the final - this act is referred to as the Public Wildcard. Audition took place within Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, with the latter three cities holding open auditions in late 2014 along with Newcastle, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Leeds, Norwich, and Bristol. The winner of the series was trainer and dog duo Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse, with magician Jamie Raven coming second, and Welsh choir Côr Glanaethwy placing third. Series 10 ( 2016 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 10 ) The tenth series was aired during 2016, between 9 April to 28 May. Auditions were held within Liverpool, Birmingham and London, with all three holding open auditions in late 2015 along with Cardiff, Glasgow, and Manchester. It was the last series to hold live episodes within The Fountain Studios, before its closure at the end of the year. The series was won by magician Richard Jones, with singer Wayne Woodward coming in second, and dance group Boogie Storm placing third. Series 11 ( 2017 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 11 ) The eleventh series was aired during 2017, between 15 April to 3 June ; the final was originally planned for 4 June, but this was moved forward to avoid it clashing with the One Love Manchester benefit concert that day. The series saw two major changes : the first saw the total number of semi-finalist reduced to 40 with eight per each semi-final, as it had been prior to the sixth series ; the second saw the Judges ' vote being dropped, with the two semi-finalists with the highest number of public votes moving on into the final. In addition, the live episodes were now broadcast from Elstree Studios, owing to the closure of the previous site. Auditions were held within Salford, Birmingham, London, and Blackpool, with the latter two cities holding open auditions in late 2016, along with Peterborough, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Kingston upon Hull, Lincoln, Reading, Manchester and Luton. The series was won by pianist Tokio Myers, with magician Issy Simpson coming in second, and stand - up comedian Daliso Chaponda placing third. Series 12 ( 2018 ) Main article : Britain 's Got Talent ( series 12 ) The twelfth series began airing on 14 April 2018. It was confirmed on 10 April 2018 that the live episodes will be aired from Hammersmith Apollo, and that Declan Donnelly would be presenting these episodes solo ; although Anthony McPartlin chose to step down from his TV commitments following an incident in March 2018, he still appeared in the series ' audition episodes, which had been filmed during January and February that year. Auditions were held within Manchester, Blackpool and London, with two of these cities holding open auditions in 2017, alongside a number of locations within the United Kingdom and Ireland, including Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dublin, and Inverness. The series was won by stand - up comedian Lost Voice Guy, with comedy singer / pianist Robert White finishing in second place, and singer Donchez Dacres in third place. Britain 's Got more Talent Stephen Mulhern has been the host of the sister show to Britain 's Got Talent, since 2007. Britain 's Got More Talent is a companion sister show that is broadcast on ITV2, and is aired after each episode of Britain 's Got Talent since the main show began in June 2007. Hosted by Stephen Mulhern ( with occasional appearances by Ant & Dec ), the programme operates in a similar manner to the former spin off show The Xtra Factor ( the companion show of The X Factor ), in that it features interviews with contestants and behind - the - scenes footage, though what is shown depends on what the main show is focused on during its broadcast. When the auditions stage is being broadcast, its sister show focuses on highlights of acts that could n't be shown on the main show, with Mulhern operating in a similar manner to Ant & Dec by viewing the performances in the wings and giving comments, as well as interviewing contestants before and after their performance. When the main show begins broadcasting live episodes, its sister show conducts live `` after - show '' episodes, featuring interviews with the semi-finalists / finalists, as well as chatting with the judges. In addition to this format, each year also sees Britain 's Got More Talent broadcasting a special set of compilation episodes featuring the best and worst auditions from that year 's contest, entitled Britain 's Got Talent : Best and Worst, which are presented by Mulhern who introduces each clip shown. Awards and nominations This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2017 ) Britain 's Got Talent has been nominated for a number of National Television Awards in the category of ' Most Popular Talent Show ' since 2007. But has lost out to its sister shows The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Ant and Dec have won the award for ' Most Popular Entertainment Presenters ' at the same awards for twelve consecutive years ( as of January 2014 ). Britain 's Got Talent has also been nominated for two British Academy Television Awards in 2008, but failed to win any awards. In 2007 and 2008, the show was nominated at the TV Quick and Choice Awards in the ' Best Talent Show ' category, losing out to The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing respectively. In 2008, it was a recipient of a Royal Television Society Programme Award for its technical achievements. It has also won four Nickelodeon UK Kids ' Choice Awards from five nominations. In 2009, it won its first ever Digital Spy Reality Award for George Sampson for ' Favourite Reality Contestant '. The show was further nominated in the ' Reality Show ' category, but lost out to The X Factor in the ' Reality TV Presenter ' category for Ant & Dec and two nominations in the ' Reality TV Judge ' category for Cowell and Morgan. Year Group Award Nominee Result 2007 National Television Awards Most Popular Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated Most Popular Entertainment Presenter Ant & Dec Won Nickelodeon UK Kids ' Choice Awards Best Reality Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated Best TV Presenters Ant & Dec Won TV Quick and Choice Awards Best Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated 2008 National Television Awards Most Popular Talent Show Nominated Most Popular Entertainment Presenter Ant & Dec Won Nickelodeon UK Kids ' Choice Awards Favourite Winner George Sampson Won British Academy Television Awards Lew Grade Award Britain 's Got Talent Nominated Audience Award Nominated Royal Television Society Programme Awards Best Production Design - Entertainment Dominic Tolfts Won Nickelodeon UK Kids ' Choice Awards Best TV Presenters Ant & Dec Won Best Family TV Show Britain 's Got Talent Won Best TV Baddie Simon Cowell Won 2009 TV Quick and Choice Awards Best Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated Digital Spy Reality TV Awards Favourite TV Reality Nominated Favourite TV Reality Judge Simon Cowell Nominated Piers Morgan Nominated Favourite TV Reality Presenters Ant & Dec Nominated Favourite Reality Contestant George Sampson Won National Television Awards Most Popular Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated British Academy Television Awards Best Entertainment Programme Won 2011 National Television Awards Most Popular Talent Show Nominated TV Choice Awards Best Talent Show Won 2012 National Television Awards Most Popular Talent Show Nominated 2013 Broadcast Awards Best Entertainment Programme Nominated National Television Awards Most Popular Talent Show Nominated 2014 Nominated 2015 Nominated TV Judge Simon Cowell Nominated David Walliams Won 2016 Most Popular Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated 2016 British Academy Television Awards Best Entertainment Programme Britain 's Got Talent Nominated 2017 22nd National Television Awards Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated TV Judge Simon Cowell Nominated David Walliams Nominated 2017 British Academy Television Awards Best Entertainment Programme Britain 's Got Talent Nominated Diversity in Media Awards TV Programme of the Year Britain 's Got Talent Nominated 2018 23rd National Television Awards Talent Show Britain 's Got Talent Nominated TV Judge Simon Cowell Nominated David Walliams Won 2018 British Academy Television Awards Best Entertainment Programme Britain 's Got Talent Won Controversies and criticism The show was criticised by psychologist Glenn Wilson, who referred to it as a `` freak show ''. He stated that `` ( contestants ' ) deficiencies and shortcomings are as important as their talent. We enjoy the stress we are putting these people under -- will they or will they not survive ? '' The treatment of contestants at the audition stage was heavily criticised by the Daily Mail, which described applicants being kept waiting for over 10 hours with no food or drink provided, with no certainty of being allowed to perform more than a few seconds of their act. It also detailed how staff intentionally built up the hopes of low - quality performers in order to maximise the dramatic effect of the judges ' put - downs, and the fine points of the contracts performers must sign, which gives the show infinite freedom to `` modify '' the footage for their own purposes, and to use the footage indefinitely for whatever purpose they choose. In two separate interviews in 2012, MC Kinky said `` Shows like X Factor and Britain 's Got Talent reduce the art of making music and practising your craft to the level of a low rent game show with huge financial backing and support. It 's a means to make money, not a means to produce ground breaking or interesting artists that demonstrate what they are feeling or are compelled to do. It 's corporate '' and `` it 's a churn ' em out fast food form of putrid shit that I have no affiliation with ''. In 2013, Bruce Forsyth questioned the show 's allowing children to audition. He said, `` I do n't think that 's entertainment. I do n't think they should put children on that are too young. If you 're going to do that, have a separate show. Have a children 's show, British Children Have Talent. '' Cowell responded to Forsyth, stating that : `` someone, Mr Grumpy, said we should n't have children your age on the show '', after the performance of dance troupe Youth Creation. Jessie J joined the debate, declaring : `` I can not agree with kids having to go through three or four auditions when it 's purely for ridicule. I do n't understand why it 's legal, I think it 's wrong ''. In 2013 it was revealed that up to 50 % of acts on the televised shows had been headhunted by producers. In 2012, electropop band Superpowerless were approached to appear in the semi-finals. They attended the audition after assurances that the act would be portrayed in a positive light. On the day they felt that all interviews, especially those with Stephen Mulhern, were conducted in a manner intending to portray them in a negative light, reducing their act to a novelty / comedy routine intended for ridicule and humiliation. While many newspapers wrote articles on this topic, very few were published as the news outlets were told that running the story would cut that publication out of any advance coverage of the show in the future. Live tour Between 2008 - 2011, several of the show 's semi-finalists, finalists, and winners from various series, took part in a live tour entitled `` Britain 's Got Talent Tour ''. The event consisted of several shows held across various UK cities during the Summer months, with site locations including Cardiff, Liverpool, Birmingham, Belfast, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, London, and Manchester. When the first live tour, hosted by Stephen Mulhern, was announced on 17 April 2008, demand for tickets for the thirteen dates set for it was high. This led to an extension in the number of performances for it, increasing the overall number from twelve - the ten finalists from that year 's series and two of the semi-finalists, Tracey Lee Collins and Anya Sparks - to twenty two, including matinées, and a duet with Faryl Smith and Andrew Johnston. In 2009, Mulhern hosted a new live tour, which initially featured four dates before it was later increased to run for eighteen shows, and included performances by Diversity, Flawless, Aidan Davis, Shaun Smith, Stavros Flatley, Hollie Steel, 2 Grand, Julian Smith, Shaheen Jafargholi, Susan Boyle, Darth Jackson, DJ Talent and the 2008 winner, George Sampson. In 2010, a third live tour was created, featuring a much larger schedule and taking place across 16 cities and 23 shows. It was hosted by comedian Paddy McGuinness, and featured performances by that year 's finalists of Britain 's Got Talent - Spelbound, Twist & Pulse, Kieran Gaffney, Tobias Mead, Tina & Chandi, Paul Burling, Christopher Stone, Janey Cutler, Liam McNally and Connected. In 2011, a fourth live tour was created. Hosted by Mulhern, it featured performances by the finalists of that year 's Britain 's Got Talent - Jai McDowall, Ronan Parke, New Bounce, Razy Gogonea, Michael Collings, Paul Gbegbaje, Steven Hall, James Hobley, Les Gibson and Jean Martyn. However ticket sales were drastically reduced due to low interest in the tour was as a result of the financial climate that year. Because there were raised concerns a new tour would flop if sales failed to improve, the tour was axed in 2012. Merchandise This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2018 ) There are 6 pieces of related merchandise : Best of The Auditions DVD ( 2009 ) The Electronic Board Game ( 2009 ) The Magic Set ( 2009 ) Finalists of 2009 : Annual 2010 ( 2009 ) Be the judge buzzer ( 2010 ) Finalists of 2010 : Annual 2011 ( 2010 ) BGT app Since 2010, a Britain 's Got Talent app has been available on Apple 's App Store and Google Play. The features of the app vary from year to year but always include an interactive feature ( e.g. a buzzer, polls or quizzes ), relevant social media feeds and clips from the show. In 2015, free in - app voting was introduced. This means viewers are able to vote free of charge for five acts of their choice per voting window during the semi-finals and final rounds. References Jump up ^ `` Britain 's Got Talent ''. Elstree Studios. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2018 Live Shows to be broadcast from the Hammersmith Apollo ''. Jump up ^ Jamieson, Alastair ( 3 June 2009 ). `` Susan Boyle could be in Priory clinic for weeks, says doctor ''. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 May 2009. Jump up ^ Waring, Olivia ( 29 February 2016 ). `` New deal will see The X Factor, Britain 's Got Talent and Simon Cowell staying on our screens until 2019 ''. Metro. Retrieved 29 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` X Factor and Britain 's Got Talent to run until 2019 in new deal ''. Dailystar.co.uk. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2017. ^ Jump up to : McGarry, Lisa ( 13 January 2012 ). `` Fern Britton was supposed to be Britain 's Got Talent judge ''. Unreality TV. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013. Jump up ^ Kilkelly, Daniel ( 13 August 2005 ). `` O'Grady to host prime - time talent show ''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 13 August 2005. Jump up ^ McGarry, Lisa ( 23 February 2006 ). `` Paul O'Grady Quits Simon Cowell 's New ITV Show ! ''. Unreality TV. Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2006. Jump up ^ `` Paul O'Grady : I gave up chance to host Britain 's Got Talent ''. Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. 5 September 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2014. Jump up ^ `` BGT judges feeling a golden buzz ''. Express & Star. Midland News Association. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014. Jump up ^ Wightman, Catriona ( 17 January 2014 ). `` Britain 's Got Talent : Is a golden buzzer a good idea ? -- vote ''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 17 January 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ant and Dec ' could n't bear ' taking Cowell 's place on BGT ''. breakingnews.ie. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` Britain 's Got Talent shock as acts have to perform again to get into semi-finals TV : Latest News STV Entertainment ''. Entertainment.stv.tv. 29 May 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ Lewis, Rebecca ( 16 January 2016 ). `` Fountain Studios, home to The X Factor and BGT, sold for £ 1 ''. Metro. Retrieved 20 May 2016. Jump up ^ Moore, Matthew ( 14 January 2009 ). `` Kelly Brook named Britain 's Got Talent judge ''. The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 14 January 2009. Jump up ^ `` Brook axed as talent show judge ''. BBC News. 20 January 2009. Jump up ^ Dickinson, Matt ( 20 January 2009 ). `` Kelly Brook axed from Britain 's Got Talent ''. The Independent. UK. Jump up ^ `` Kelly Brook Axed from Britain 's Got Talent ''. Daily Mirror. UK. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2009. Jump up ^ Louis Walsh replaces Simon Cowell on Britain 's Got Talent 2010 ! Archived 17 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Unreality TV, 3 February 2010 ^ Jump up to : `` Britain 's Got Talent in turmoil as Piers Morgan quits for US and Simon Cowell tires of ' horrific ' acts ''. Daily Mirror. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` Michael McIntyre joins Britain 's Got Talent ''. BBC News. 14 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` Britain 's Got Talent 2011 : Michael McIntyre and David Hasselhoff join judging panel ''. Metro. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` David Hasselhoff confirms ' Britain 's Got Talent ' exit -- Britain 's Got Talent News -- TV ''. Digital Spy. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` Alesha Dixon leaves Strictly for Britain 's Got Talent ''. BBC. 2 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ Nathan, Sara ( 4 February 2010 ). `` Britain 's Got Talent : Simon Cowell is ill ''. Daily Mail. UK. Jump up ^ Morgan, Piers ( 9 October 2010 ). `` PIERS MORGAN ' I 'll miss the late - night drinking sessions with Ant and Dec -- and winding up my co-judges ' ''. The Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 10 October 2010. Jump up ^ McIntyre, Hasselhoff for ' Britain 's Got Talent ' Digital Spy, 14 December 2010 Jump up ^ Sneak peek at rock dog and heartthrob on Britain 's Got Talent STV Entertainment, 12 April 2011 Jump up ^ Walsh back on Britain 's Got Talent RTÉ Ten, 30 December 2010 Jump up ^ Hallett, Emma ( 2 January 2012 ). `` Alesha Dixon quits Strictly Come Dancing for Britain 's Got Talent -- News -- TV & Radio ''. The Independent. UK. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` Simon Cowell to return to ' Britain 's Got Talent ', confirms ITV boss ''. Digital Spy. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ Mendoza, Nadia ( 30 November 2011 ). `` TV&Showbiz ''. Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ Westbrook, Caroline ( 2 June 2017 ). `` Little Mix cancel Britain 's Got Talent final performance after show 's switch to Saturday night ''. Metro. Retrieved 2 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` When does Britain 's Got Talent 2018 start ? ''. www.thesun.co.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Declan Donnelly to host Britain 's Got Talent solo as Ant McPartlin temporarily ' steps down from his TV commitments ' ''. Jump up ^ `` Britain 's Got Talent 2018 auditions : Judges ' audition dates, venues, tickets ''. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` BGT Open Auditions are coming to a town near YOU ! ''. ITV.com. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2016 Television Entertainment Programme -- BAFTA Awards ''. awards.bafta.org. ^ Jump up to : `` The National Television Awards 2017 -- winners in full ''. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2017 Television Entertainment Programme -- BAFTA Awards ''. awards.bafta.org. Jump up ^ `` 2018 Television Entertainment Programme -- BAFTA Awards ''. awards.bafta.org. Jump up ^ Wilson, Glenn ( 1 June 2009 ). `` The pressure of sudden TV stardom ''. BBC News. Retrieved 21 November 2009. Jump up ^ Topham, Laura ( 12 February 2010 ). `` Britain 's got cruelty : Exploitation is what this talent show is about ''. Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 14 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` Feral is Kinky Interview 2012 the Londoner talks about Moombahton, electronic genres and collaborations ''. Swide.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Feral aka MC Kinky ''. Stewartwho.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013. Jump up ^ Cox, Laura ( 11 May 2013 ). `` Stop putting children through the ordeal of Britain 's Got Talent says Brucie : Outcry as Cowell and co reduce youngsters to tears ''. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 25 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : O'Brien, Liam ( 1 June 2013 ). `` The Voice judge Jessie J slams Britain 's Got Talent for allowing children to audition ''. The Independent. Jump up ^ `` MCM BUZZ -- Movies, TV, Comics, Gaming, Anime, Cosplay News & Reviews '' Britain 's Got Bullies -- BGT 's War on Nerds ``. MCM BUZZ -- Movies, TV, Comics, Gaming, Anime, Cosplay News & Reviews. Jump up ^ McLean, Amy. `` Preview : Britain 's Got Talent Tour opens in Newcastle -- Theatre & Arts -- Entertainment ''. ChronicleLive. Retrieved 8 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` Britains Got Talent tour has been axed in a huge blow to this years acts ''. The Sun. Retrieved 12 May 2012. External links Britain 's Got Talent at itv.com Britain 's Got Talent at stv.tv Britain 's Got Talent at u.tv Britain 's Got Talent on Twitter Britain 's Got Talent on IMDb Britain 's Got Talent Episodes Series 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Winners Paul Potts George Sampson Diversity Spelbound Jai McDowall Ashleigh and Pudsey Attraction Collabro Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse Richard Jones Tokio Myers Lost Voice Guy Other notable contestants Series 1 Damon Scott Bessie Cursons Connie Talbot Bar Wizards Jake Pratt Series 2 Signature Andrew Johnston Escala Faryl Smith Kate and Gin Charlie Green Charlie Wernham Series 3 Susan Boyle Julian Smith Stavros Flatley Aidan Davis Hollie Steel Shaheen Jafargholi DJ Talent Flawless John Farnworth Sue Son Megan McKenna Elliot Evans Series 4 Twist and Pulse Paul Burling ReConnected Myles and Connor Kev Orkian Stevie Starr Cheeky Girls and Darius Matthew Ahmet Series 5 Ronan Parke Out of the Blue Series 6 Jonathan and Charlotte Only Boys Aloud Loveable Rogues Ryan O'Shaughnessy The Mend The Zimmers Series 7 Jack Carroll Richard & Adam Steve Hewlett Luminites Gabz Francine Lewis Asanda James More Aaron Crow MckNasty Freelusion AJ & Chloe Series 8 Bars and Melody Jon Clegg Paddy & Nico Ed Drewett Light Balance Series 9 Côr Glanaethwy Old Men Grooving Isaac Waddington Calum Scott Lorraine Bowen Ruby Red Performers Alison Jiear Series 10 Alex Magala Beau Dermott Rachael Wooding Series 11 Daliso Chaponda Destiny Chukunyere Jess Robinson Series 12 Ray Kelly Ben Pridmore B Positive Choir hide Got Talent franchises National franchises Albania Australia Argentina Azerbaijan Belgium VIER vtm RTL - TVI Bulgaria Cambodia Canada China Croatia Czech Republic & Slovakia Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Moldova Mongolia Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Philippines Poland Portugal RTP ( 2007 ) SIC RTP Romania Russia Serbia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Thailand Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom United States America 's Got Talent The Champions Vietnam Regional franchises Arab World Asia World 's Got Talent ( cancelled ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Britain%27s_Got_Talent&oldid=845167137 '' Categories : 2000s British reality television series 2007 British television programme debuts 2010s British reality television series Britain 's Got Talent English - language television programs ITV reality television programmes Television series by FremantleMedia Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles needing additional references from May 2017 All articles needing additional references Articles needing additional references from March 2018 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015 Use dmy dates from April 2016 Use British English from January 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Gaeilge 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Simple English Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Tiếng Việt 中文 16 more Edit links This page was last edited on 9 June 2018, at 21 : 59. 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Question: who are the judges of britains got talent
Answer: Cowell