sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Got Talent, Jon Courtenay

EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

SEMI-FINALS 2020 JUDGES PRESS PACK JUDGES PRESS PACK | 2 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

3 INTRODUCTION CONTENTS 4 6 8 10 13 DIGITAL

For the latest BGT news follow @BGT on and

For information on the show email [email protected] For pictures log on to: www..com/presscentre/itvpictures or contact James Hilder, [email protected] JUDGES PRESS PACK | 3 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

INTRODUCTION

Britain’s returns to ITV! Following the auditions in Spring, BGT is back for the semi-finals and grand finale. We’ll welcome back the acts who impressed the judges and made it through to the semi-finals, not forgetting our golden buzzer acts, singer Fayth Ifil; comedian and singer, ; choir, Sign Along With Us; comedian, Nabil Abdulrashid; and mother and daughter singing duo, Honey and Sammy. Our semi-finalists are one step closer to achieving their dream of being crowned the winner of BGT and securing the prize of an incredible £250,000 and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.

are proud sponsors of Britain’s Got Talent JUDGES PRESS PACK | 4 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER SIMON COWELL

Were you ever worried that Britain’s Got Talent might not make it back on air at all this year because of Covid? Yeah, for a moment but then I thought, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’. I just thought that if we can talk to each other all over the world on something like Zoom then there must be a way for us to do the live shows. I don’t want to give too much away but when you watch the semi-finals and final you’re going to see something you’ve never seen before, it’s very high tech. It’s been very stimulating putting the whole thing together.

How did you feel ahead of the audition episodes airing during what was a very scary time for everyone across the country? I remember watching the first cut of the first audition episode and thinking how perfect it was to escape from all the craziness of Covid for a moment. It was sad when we had to put the last audition show out not knowing if we would definitely get to do the remaining semi-final shows. But we are all really excited complete the series and celebrate our BGT winner! The ratings for the audition shows were incredible… I wasn’t even thinking about the ratings at the time though, I was looking at the reaction from the audience that was coming in. That’s what was really important to me, especially during these scary times! It was incredible to know that everyone was really enjoying the shows.

The pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on the entertainment world with productions shut down around the globe for months… We’ve had to come up with all sorts of different ideas on how we’re going to do it, how it’s going to be different but ultimately the focus needs to be on the contestants. JUDGES PRESS PACK | 5 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

Now the semi-finals are here, there must lives for the better as we possibly can, so everyone be lots of protocols put in place to protect is working hard. It took us a long time to work out everyone backstage? who the finalists were going to be because there were just so many good people this year. But I think We’re always going to miss not having a live audience, but the safety of everyone is more we’ve chosen the right people to put through. I mean, important. We’re going to have to rehearse acts in a we didn’t agree on everything, there were rows, but SIMON’S GOLDEN BUZZER ACT: completely different way. But everyone’s been up for everyone got to watch the auditions through again, we it, the contestants, the crew and the whole team, it’s came back, we’d changed our minds, then we finally FAYTH IFIL been amazing to see everyone come together and got to a place where we thought, ‘These are the right work so hard to get Britain’s Got Talent back on air. people to go through’ I hope the audience are going to be really happy to see who we’ve put through. And the same for the judges? Are you looking forward to seeing your I think we’re going to have the longest judges’ desk in the world to make sure everyone has lots of space! golden buzzer act again? That’s the plus side to come out of all this, that David Of course, I can’t wait to see what Fayth is going to has to stay far away from me for the foreseeable future! perform! I think she’s amazing. I hope she’s used this extra time wisely. I think everyone will bring their A game There will be no live audience for the for the finals. I think we have all had to, the way the remainder of the series, how will that impact production team behind the show have adapted and the vibe of the show? coped with all the changes to the show and the way they Hopefully, from what I have seen it won’t change the work, it’s been incredible, they are outstanding. vibe in the room. I don’t want to give too much away but what we are planning to do will mean it will still How are the plans looking for next year’s feel like you’ve got this tremendous energy behind show? us on the panel. You’ll be able to see and hear the In terms of filming, there’s always a plan a, b, c audience watching at home, it’ll just be different. It’s and d! Whatever happens, it sounds like a cliche, going to be fascinating to be a part of this. but the show must go on, and it will. There’s a real determination, whatever happens, to not only make Which acts are you looking forward to the show work again next year but make it even better seeing again? than this year. That’s where everyone’s feelings are All of them to be honest with you. They’ve all had right now. It’s our job to give our viewers an hour of even more time to rehearse and they know what the entertainment that they can escape into, that makes stakes are. We want to change as many people’s them smile and have fun. JUDGES PRESS PACK | 6 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER AMANDA HOLDEN

Are you excited to get back with the gang to film? Yes, really excited. I mean, it’s going to feel weird with new rules in place. There will be laughter and I’m sure there will be tears too. What you see is what you get. We’re pretty much the same on screen as we are off. Also, I have been getting glammed up every single day doing my radio show, but it’ll be great, and a real treat, to have my hair and makeup done by someone else again. I feel like I’ve kept some kind of normality throughout by hosting the Breakfast show every weekday. I’ve been in London’s Leicester Square five days a week, for the last five months, with not a soul around and as a result it’s taken me half the travelling time!

Have you kept in touch with the other judges during lockdown? Absolutely! Alesha and I keep in touch the most.

Are you looking forward to seeing your golden buzzer act again? Oh god, Sammy and Honey are just so lovely! I started thinking I was going to press my golden buzzer, and then it started to go wrong for them, Simon waded in and I wasn’t sure all of a sudden. Apparently, all the producers on the show caught me looking at the golden buzzer a few times and were like, “Watch out, she’s going to blow!” And eventually, I did. It’s just that feeling you get, it almost forces you to press the buzzer, it’s really hard to explain. I just loved that it was one of those unpolished acts, I just know there will be mums and their daughters across the country who will connect with them.

Do you hope they bring their A game to the finals? With Sammy and Honey being a mother and daughter act they will have been together throughout lockdown which means they have had even more time to perfect JUDGES PRESS PACK | 7 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER their performance. So, I am 100% hoping for great There are going to be loads of social things from them both. distancing measures in place backstage, What other type of acts are you looking will that be weird for you all? forward to seeing again? Being a meter apart will be annoying because we’re I’m looking forward to the choirs because I think a very emotive judging panel and we hug one after the year that everyone’s had and the community another if an act has been particularly emotional and spirit that we adopted, looking out for each other, set one of us off crying. It’s going to feel very odd I think a choir winning would epitomise 2020 in a explaining to all our kids that they can’t come and really nice, positive way. It’s a community of people hang out backstage. who sing together, to have a lovely time, and to get themselves through various things in their lives. How are you feeling about BGT 2021, I think a choir would be a great ambassador for which is not very far away now! our show if they won. I love David’s Golden Buzzer I’m really excited because 2021 is happening in particularly, and I love Beth Porch, the NHS nurse whatever format it’s going to be in. That will be 15 from Great Ormond Street. They are amazing people. To be honest, I’m looking forward to years we’ve been going (and I’ve been there for all watching the show afresh again. It’s going to feel of them!) so hopefully, there’ll be a party. I also turn like a new show. I’m looking forward to seeing how 50 next year, so I’m expecting a joint birthday! In they’ve all used this extra time to grow and what fact, as a present I think I should be able to press all they’ve done to improve their potential of winning. the golden buzzers!

AMANDA’S GOLDEN BUZZER ACT: HONEY & SAMMY JUDGES PRESS PACK | 8 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER ALESHA DIXON

Are you excited about getting back to work on Britain’s Got Talent? I’ve been looking forward to getting back to BGT. We’ve all been texting each other saying how much we’ve all missed each other and just genuinely can’t wait to work together again. In a way it almost makes it even more special to be doing the show. I remember when BGT went out, at that time we all thought, “Wow, this is what people need. They need a bit of silliness and a bit of fun.” At that time, it was all doom and gloom in the country. When the show came on, it was like, “Oh, this is a nice little treat on a Saturday night.” Now I kind of feel, again, going into the semi-final shows, people need that little pick me up, a bit of joy and some light, you know?

The show is filming in a studio rather than a theatre, how do you think that will impact the vibe of the show? Now with the social distancing, we have had to adapt. It’s going to be different from what everyone is used to but everyone’s working hard to make sure we still have that special vibe to the show.

As a performer yourself, what’s your advice to the acts going out on stage when there won’t be a live studio audience? We’ll be there being as loud as we possibly can be, and supportive, and encouraging them. Even for me as performer, it’s a very hard one to predict or to call how it’s going to go. I don’t actually know how I would feel if I walked out to perform and there was no one there to perform to, but I guess I would just visualise the audience at home. I would remember that there’s still millions of people watching from home, and I would think about that whilst I’m doing the performance. JUDGES PRESS PACK | 9 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

Do you think it’s going to make your role How are you feeling about your golden as judges harder? buzzer act, Nabil? Yes, because in a way the audience feeds off us, My golden buzzer act, Nabil, is edgy and I knew we feed off of them. I think years of experience of that about him when I pressed my buzzer for him. I think that comedians should be allowed to be a doing it, obviously our instincts will drive us in how little bit naughty and get away with things that we we critique and how we view something. I think can’t because we have to learn to have a sense of we will be very mindful and compassionate to the humour about things. That’s the best way of coping, contestants that they are in a unique situation. That through laughter, to just poke fun at things. It’s a doesn’t mean that they get an easy time and that big moment for him. A massive moment, and it will it means that they don’t have to work as hard. If be very interesting to watch. anything, we’d be like, “No, come on. You’ve got Are you hoping the standard will be even to really show us what you’re made of now because higher from all the contestants as they’ve you don’t have the audience who acts as like a had more time to rehearse and plan their fifth judge.” They don’t have that. They don’t have performances? them on their side. So even more, they got to prove That’s a really good point, they’ve had a long time, I themselves. hope that they’ve not become too complacent! I hope that they’ve used this time to really think about what Which acts are you looking forward to they want to do and to think about how to maximise seeing again? the moment. So yeah, this could work in their favour. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. It’s so I think it’s real interesting because there’s a few acts weird because the series would have normally that have got potential to blow up and have a huge wrapped by now and you shift gear to prepare moment on the show. There’s so much more meaning in everything now after all we’ve been through as a yourself for the next series. So I am going to go country. It’s given it a whole other layer, another level, back and watch the entire series again, just for if they pitch it right, they get the right song, they’re a little refresher. I want to make sure that I’ve going to tap into the emotion of the nation. And I think got them all fresh in my mind before I see them we could see some really powerful moments on the again. show, fingers crossed! ALESHA’S GOLDEN BUZZER ACT: NABIL ABDULRASHID JUDGES PRESS PACK | 10 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER DAVID WALLIAMS

Are you excited to finally be back with the BGT gang? I am because to be honest, when we were filming the show back in January I can’t remember anyone even mentioning Coronavirus. If we had known back then that there was going to be this huge pandemic we wouldn’t have been walking around shaking everyone’s hands! But I’m really excited to finally be back with the others because it just feels so different having not done the shows in May like we normally do. It’s been quite a long time apart from each other and what’s weird as well is we haven’t really seen anyone because we’ve all been in lockdown! It’s strange trying to get your head round the whole thing. I’m excited to be working with them all again but it’s going to feel so different with all the social distance measures in place.

Have you stayed in contact with any of the other judges or Ant and Dec during lockdown? Yeah, we’ve been keeping in touch with each other and seeing what we’ve all been getting up to. Simon’s been in LA and the rest of us are over here but everyone’s in the same boat. Like everyone in the country, we’ve all been at home not seeing anyone or doing very much. Apparently, Simon’s been cooking, I saw him cook some beans on toast once and I was amazed at that! The good thing is that we’re all parents with young kids and that’s something I have personally really enjoyed, being able to spend so much more time with my son.

How are you feeling about going back to the show and having to work within all the new social distancing measures which also means there will be no backstage parties? There’s a sense of being an event which I hope the show still has when all these JUDGES PRESS PACK | 11 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER new measures are in place. I can imagine that I think it’ll be harder for some acts than others, for although I will be sad not to be in the same room everyone watching at home are really happy to example a singer can come in and sing their song as them, we must do all we can to protect their have some new entertainment as well because it’s and that’s fine, but a comic usually plays off the health. I know they are going to deliver something been hard for everyone to make TV shows and reaction in the room and look for laughs along the really special and heartwarming, which is exactly certain productions have had to stop, like the soaps. way. So, it will be tougher for them. I don’t know if what we all need right now. I just know they will do To have new episodes of Britain’s Got Talent will people might adapt their acts as a result of these something that brings us all together in a moment hopefully put a smile on everyone’s faces and give changes, it will be interesting to see the creativity of appreciation for how special the group are. I them something to look forward to. The reaction to some of them will come up with. I’m excited and just think if they get their performance right then they the audition shows was so good, it felt like escapism pleased that it’s happening. are a real contender to win. It’s all about what song when things had changed so much around us that they choose to do, if they get the right song that we had no control over. So now we’ve just got to Do you think there’s a favourite going into captures our imagination then they could do really all do our best to make sure the spirt of the show the finals? well. I’m just glad that they have an opportunity to continues even though it might feel a bit different. Oh no, I think the competition is wide open this shine. They are such an inclusive group who make year. I don’t think any of us can predict who is you feel optimistic about the world. I think they may You’ll be having a virtual audience, as a going to win the series this year. It’s much more just capture this moment in time where as a nation performer yourself, what’s your advice to open than people might think. Someone you might we’ve all been having to look out for each other. the acts taking to the stage about how they not have considered as a potential winner during really make an impact when there’s hardly the auditions might come on and be sensational, What other acts are you looking forward to anyone in the room watching them? capture the public’s attention and win. It’s simply a seeing? Well as someone who has performed to hardly case of coming on that stage and connecting with There’s a couple of comics that I am really looking anyone in a room, because when I started out with the audience in the moment. forward to seeing again and also Ant and Dec’s Matt Lucas at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival we would golden buzzer act, Jon Courtenay. He did this song be on a midnight in a 100-seat theatre having sold How excited are you to see your golden about his life which on paper feels like it shouldn’t very few tickets, so I have performed to very few buzzer act again? work, but it was such a treat and an amazing people before! The trick is to keep your focus and not I’m very excited! They are going to be performing audition. I’ve never seen anything like that before, let it impact you, you have to think that while there’s via video because due to health issues of a lot of where someone sings a song and by the end of it not many people in the room watching you, there’s the kids involved meaning they have to isolate you feel like you completely know who they are. It millions at home who are, so you have to deliver for during the pandemic, they are not able to be in the was very clever, and I’m intrigued to see what he those people. They have to remember that this is still studio in person performing as part of a group. I does next. Then there’s Beth Porch, the nurse from a massive, potentially life changing event for them, think it could work really well and be rather sweet. Great Ormond Street Hospital. I think she could even if they’re not getting an immediate reaction. I think it could be a really special moment and do really well. She was great anyway but after JUDGES PRESS PACK | 12 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER everything we’ve been through this year the respect we all have for doctors and nurses is even higher. I think we’re all even more aware these days of their dedication, sacrifice and bravery, so I believe that she might have a really big moment on the show. The most important thing I hope we all take from this show is just to celebrate life, celebrate eccentricity and entertainment. There hasn’t been much in the way of humour over the last few months because frankly there hasn’t been much to laugh about, so I think people are ready for some escapism and that’s what we’re here for.

DAVID’S GOLDEN BUZZER ACT: SIGN ALONG WITH US JUDGES PRESS PACK | 13 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 TUESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER DIGITAL

Britain’s Got Talent is returning for the Semi-Finals! We’ll continue to showcase the best that variety has to offer across all of our major social media platforms. You will find the most shocking, surprising and tear-jerking performances from the Semi-Finals on the official BGT Facebook, YouTube and ITV website, while our Instagram and Twitter will be jam-packed with exclusive behind the scenes content, hilarious interviews and stunning galleries. BGT fans will also be able to engage further with our official TikTok channel (@BGT), which launched during the auditions. With 800k followers, our TikTok will continue to be the place for even more trending challenges along with hilarious soundbites from the show! Now more than ever, people are intrigued about how TV programmes are being made. Our BGT social pages will show the buzz of being backstage at the Semi- Finals while also providing insights into how a show as big as BGT is filmed with the implementation of social distancing guidelines on set. Throughout the series we’ll be providing viewers with a series of interactive Instagram Stories. We will also be hosting a Q&A with Ant & Dec before The Final, giving fans the enviable chance to put a question to our fave TV duo! ITV WEBSITE: itv.com/BritainsGotTalent And finally, with the return of the BGT app, viewers will have the opportunity to crown FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/BritainsGotTalent the WINNER of Britain’s Got Talent 2020 with free app votes. The app is also home to fun polls, quizzes and you can buzz-along-to-the-show in your own home with our YOUTUBE: Youtube.com/BritainsGotTalent brilliant BGT Buzzers. INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/bgt The BGT app is free and available to download from your App Store now. Just search ‘BGT’ in your App Store and download the app today! TWITTER: Twitter.com/bgt TIKTOK: Tiktok.com/@bgt