Amanda & Alan's Italian Job takes best friends Amanda Holden and Alan Carr very much out of their comfort zones, as they work together on renovating two derelict properties in Italy which they hope to transform into one stylish home.

They purchased the apartments for €1 each through a scheme run by the Italian government which offers up run-down properties in forgotten towns and villages for a bargain price, in the hope of attracting new residents to the area and providing work for local tradespeople.

Amanda is an enthusiastic home renovator, while Alan loves interior design, but this is by far the biggest project either of them has taken on — and they have the added problem of the language barrier and carrying out the work during the scorching hot Mediterranean summer.

Here's everything we know about the series...

Amanda & Alan's Italian Job release date

Amanda & Alan's Italian Job begins on Friday, January 6 on BBC One at 8.30 pm. 

All eight episodes will be available at launch on BBC iPlayer.

Amanda & Alan's Italian Job location

The apartments that the pair have bought are in the hilltop town of Salemi on the island of Sicily. Located on the western side of the island, Salemi is known for its steep winding streets and stunning views and was badly impacted by an earthquake in January 1968. The town currently has a population of just over 10,000 people, and is a short drive from the coastal towns of Marsala and Palermo.

Alan & Amanda's Italian Job episode guide

Episode 1 (January 6): In the first episode, Amanda and Alan arrive at the crumbling property for the first time. Seeing the piles of rubbish and abandoned junk, it dawns on them that this is no holiday.

Episode 2 (January 13): Amanda and Alan take on their first major renovation project, designing a traditional Sicilian walled kitchen. Kicking off the demolition in 36-degree heat proves to be a trial for Alan, and he soon realises that taking on a build in a medieval hilltop town comes with its own unique challenges. With the help of project manager Scott, Amanda barters with the locals at a nearby marble factory as she bags a bargain for their feature island and brushes up on her culinary skills in Marsala, learning how to cook Sicily's signature dish.

Episode 3 (January 20): Amanda and Alan divide and conquer as they renovate the bathrooms, but it soon becomes clear they're not on the same page, with two opposing schemes. Amanda's unconvinced about Alan's bidet, and Alan tries to veto Amanda's disco ball installation — but with firm ideas of what they want, neither will back down on their vision.

Episode 4 (January 27): Alan takes charge designing the first bedroom, but doubt soon sets in as Amanda and Scott struggle to get on board with his artistic vision. To nail his 'rustic chic' look, Alan visits interior designer Marie at her 300-year-old palazzo and ropes in Amanda to to help source vintage gems at Palermo's famous flea market, but haggling in Italian isn't their greatest strength.

Episode 5 (February 3): Amanda and Alan turn their attention outside as they aim to transform the scruffy courtyard into a Mediterranean oasis. To brush up on their botany, they visit the magnificent gardens of one of Sicily's biggest wine producers. As a reward for helping out with the grape harvest, they are wined and dined and given a surprise serenade by owner Jose. Keen to create an authentic Sicilian design, Alan explores Sciacca's famous ceramic scene and gets arty painting Moor heads.

Episode 6 (February 10): Amanda aims to bring a slice of Hollywood to Sicily with a banana leaf patterned boudoir design for the master bedroom. Alan is concerned that Amanda's camp theme is on the wrong side of tacky, so she takes him to visit one of Palermo's most prestigious hotels to show how exuberant décor has enticed high-profile guests including composer Richard Wagner. To bring her vision to life, Amanda ropes in her DIY-loving dad to help build a bespoke four-poster bed.

Episode 7 (February 17): Amanda and Alan face their final challenge as they join forces to renovate the last two rooms. Their dream of creating an open-plan living and dining room is dented when they discover the main structural wall dividing the two spaces requires a much smaller arch than they anticipated. For this final space, they agree to put their design differences to one side, but a disagreement over the shape of the arch threatens to divide them.

Episode 8 (February 24): Alan and Amanda are on the home stretch as they take on the interiors for their open-plan living and dining room. Many hands make light work as they invite local friends Fabrizio, Maria Pia and Carlos over for a plastering party, but things soon get out of hand as a spillage nearly ruins their newly-laid terrazzo floor. With Alan's help, Scott designs a sleek marble dining table and gives Alan and Amanda a lesson in making bespoke wall lights out of vintage Sicilian tiles.

Is there a trailer for Amanda & Alan's Italian Job?

There is! You can check it out below:

Amanda Holden and Alan Carr interview

Amanda Holden regularly shares her holiday snaps on Instagram, but she has recently revealed that she sometimes bears it all when she’s off on her jollies!

She was a guest on the most recent episode of Alan Carr’s podcast Life’s A Beach, which sees the presenter and comedian chatting to celebrities all about their holidays. 

Towards the end of the episode, he asks his guest a set of quickfire questions about their preferences, including whether they’d go nude on holiday. The Britain's Got Talent judge admitted that she prefers to go without a bikini in private!

Amanda said: “Nudist, totally, I never wear a bikini on holiday, but I wouldn’t mix with other nudists. There’s a difference.” 

Alan joked that this was just when you’re in a private villa rather than staying in an all-inclusive resort, but Amanda interrupted him to say that she’s even served Sunday lunch naked!

The Britain's Got Talent judge didn't just reveal she ditches her bikini whilst away on holiday, though! 

Whilst going over some of her past holidays, she also recalled a nightmare experience that she went through with her eldest daughter, Alexa, and her husband and husband Chris Hughes years ago.

They'd traveled to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for a holiday whilst she was pregnant with her second daughter, Hollie, and they landed after a twelve-hour flight. When Chris handed over his passport to security, he was hauled away by a security guard!

Amanda explained: “I went mad. Chris said he could see me indicating and pointing my finger at this big, tough security man because, apparently, they were looking for a Chris Hughes in the world that had been a tax invader.”

“They were pulling in every single Chris Hughes, it’s quite a common name, he’s had upgrades off the back of his name so it’s not all been bad! I was literally threatened with arrest if I didn’t calm down, but I was pregnant, off a twelve-hour flight and we had to wait two hours until they cleared his name!”

• Britain's Got Talent winners

Bookies have started taking bets on who might step in to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning... and Amanda Holden is current favourite.

Amanda Holden is among the top names cited to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning later this year.

Willoughby will join Declan Donnelly in Australia to present I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! while his presenting partner Ant McPartlin continues his break away from work.

ITV said that “plans for This Morning will be announced in due course”, but bookmakers have already released their first wave of odds on who might be joining Willoughby’s co-host Phillip Schofield in her absence.

Britain’s Got Talent judge and actress Holden, who has acted as a stand-in presenter on This Morning, is the favourite with 2-1 odds, according to bookmaker Coral.

Saturdays singer Mollie King has odds of 3-1, while This Morning regular Ruth Langsford is at 4-1.

Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt is at 8-1, Coral said.

Moffatt was previously touted as one of the most likely stars to join Donnelly in the jungle this year.

Other names include Love Island presenter Caroline Flack (10-1) and Britain’s Got More Talent host Stephen Mulhern (12-1).

Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead said: “Amanda stepped in for Holly back in 2014 when she was on maternity leave and she’s our favourite to help Phillip once again whilst Holly goes into the jungle.

“Mollie King is another in the mix and as a hugely popular figure at the moment would certainly go down well with the viewers, whilst we rate the likes of Scarlett Moffatt, Stephen Mulhern and Caroline Flack as outsiders for this particular gig.”

TV regulars including Rylan Clark-Neal, Gok Wan, Lisa Snowdon and Rochelle and Marvin Humes are among the other stars who have stepped in to guest present the weekday programme, and could fill Willoughby’s place.

Willoughby has co-hosted This Morning alongside Schofield since 2009. The duo are currently on a summer break from the programme while Langsford and her husband Eamonn Holmes take the helm.

Willoughby said, of her temporary I’m A Celebrity role, that McPartlin’s shoes are big ones to “keep warm for a little bit”, and that she might struggle in the jungle because she is “scared of everything that moves”.

McPartlin, who has presented I’m A Celebrity with Donnelly since the series started in 2002, previously announced he is stepping back from TV commitments and public appearances following a drink-driving conviction which saw him banned from the road for 20 months and fined £86,000.

Despite hundreds of complaints about Amanda Holden's skimpy BGT outfits, the TV watchdog says the show was appropriately scheduled

Amanda Holden’s skimpy Britain’s Got Talent outfits 'would not have exceeded most viewers’ expectations', the TV watchdog has said, after deciding not to investigate.

Ofcom received 683 complaints – mostly about Amanda’s wardrobe although there were some about fellow judge Alesha Dixon’s – over the course of three programmes.

Eyebrow-raising outfits worn by Holden, 46, included a dramatically low-cut gown slashed to the navel, with a cut-out panel that reached down to the small of her back.

Viewers’ complaints on Twitter included 'So Amanda is effectively topless on Britain’s Got Talent'…. 'What the hell is Amanda wearing on BGT, totally NOT suitable' and 'Half term hols with kids watching – sort yourself out Amanda Holden – not good!'

Ofcom said that the outfits had the 'potential' to cause offence on a family show, but that the ITV programme was 'appropriately scheduled'.

“We carefully assessed complaints that dresses worn by judges were inappropriate for a pre-watershed audience,” a spokesman for the regulator said.

“We recognise that the dresses had potential to offend some viewers during what is a family show.

“However, while some outfits were revealing, we considered it was appropriately scheduled and would not have exceeded most viewers’ expectations.”

Amanda, whose eyebrow-raising choices also included a see-through skirt with a leotard underneath, previously joked that she had not 'done my job' unless people complain about her skimpy wardrobe.

Ofcom also dismissed 27 complaints over fellow judge David Walliams, 45, dropping his trousers in front of Simon Cowell, 57.

“We assessed some complaints that David Walliams’ behaviour was unsuitable for a pre-watershed audience,” a spokesman said.

“However, while his actions could be seen as offensive to some, we found they were justified by the light-hearted, comedic context.”

The ITV series culminated with pianist Tokio Myers being crowned the champion, winning the opportunity to perform at The Royal Variety Performance and a £250,000 prize.

The final notched up 8.2 million viewers and a peak of 10.2 million.

The BGT and X Factor mogul Simon Cowell says his son is showing signs he'll follow him into the music business

Simon Cowell has said his son Eric is going to follow in his footsteps as the toddler already has a 'good eye and ear' for acts on Britain’s Got Talent.

The music mogul and BGT boss took his three-year-old to auditions in London earlier this year while filming the ITV reality programme, and has admitted his son initially thought his job only involved pressing buttons.

Ahead of the programme’s return this weekend, Simon said: “(Eric) does enjoy coming down to auditions.

“The first time I brought him to Britain’s Got Talent he thought it was scary because of the big red Xs, but then after a few months I said, ‘What does Daddy do when he goes to work?’, and he said I pressed buttons. It’s a little more than that!

“Now, he understands the show so I watch him and I’m like, ‘Eric do you like it? Don’t you like it?’

“He’s got a really good eye and ear for it, so yes, he’s going to be doing this one day.”

Cowell became a first-time father when he and girlfriend Lauren Silverman welcomed Eric on Valentine’s Day in 2014.

Simon’s co-star Amanda Holden, who has been on the judging panel with him for every series, agreed that the toddler has a knack for spotting talent.

She said: “I think he’s got an eye for talent and a great sense of humour.”

Amanda said Eric is 'very cute' and 'runs a mile' from her when she enters a room.

She added: “Rightly so because he knows me, but he doesn’t know me that well. I’m like, ‘Give me a kiss Eric!’, and he’s like, ‘No!’

“That’s right, he should be like that. It’s just like Simon, he runs a mile from me as well!”

Simon and Amanda join fellow judges Alesha Dixon and David Walliams as Britain’s Got Talent returns for its 11th series this weekend.

*Britain’s Got Talent returns on Saturday, April 15 at 8pm on ITV

The judges, Ant & Dec and all their pets join a contestant on stage for a session of 'Dog Yoga' during the auditions. Watch Simon balance both his pooches and you won't believe what Ant's dog does on the BGT stage...

Britain's Got Talent returns to our screens next week and viewers can expect to see the judges, and their pooches, getting active on the BGT stage.

Ant and Dec join the judges in the fun and bring their dogs on stage to take part in some 'Dog Yoga'.

The sneak peek clip, which will show before Corrie on ITV tonight (7 April), features yoga instructor and Britain's Got Talent contestant Mahny and her pet dog Robbie.

The duo take the stage to perform their routine and the judges, Ant & Dec and all of their pooches wait patiently for the audition to finish.

Ant's dog can't wait long enough and struts onto the stage eager to take part. Mahny invites all the judges and their pets on to stage to take part in a 'Dog Yoga' group session. Before the masterclass can start, the excitement gets a little too much for Ant's dog who takes a wee on the stage!

Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Dec Donnelly begin the routine, reaching their dogs to the sky in an 'upper paw pose' and finishing in the 'loose dog position'.

The dogs look a little confused, but the judges put 100 per cent into the task. Maybe they will try this out at home too.

When Alesha announces the end of the doggy yoga session, contestant pooch Robbie seems unimpressed and wees on David's shoes in protest – Dec can't contain his laughter! Poor David must have been barefoot for the rest of the show.

Watch the sneak peak below

The nations favourite talent show returns for the 11 series and promises even more laughter, some tears and lots of surprises. 'Dog Yoga' is just one of the weird and wonderful acts on BGT this year, who knows what else we can expect!

Britain's Got Talent returns Saturday 15th April at 8pm on ITV

Psst. Amanda Holden confesses all about her new show on UKTV's W channel, I’ve Got Something To Tell You...

Picture the scene. Your friend has invited you for a lovely afternoon tea at a quaint little cafe. They seem strangely nervous, and then Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden serves you your sandwiches and scones….

It’s all because your mate has a big secret to tell you, and they’ve chosen to ‘fess up while the TV cameras are rolling…

That’s the premise of new W series, I’ve Got Something to Tell You (Monday, October 3) in which members of the public lure their loved ones into a stunt tea room to make confessions, instigate family reunions or even just to say thank you.

TV Times caught up with Amanda, 45, to hear more…

We know you love this show, Amanda, what makes it so special? "It’s because I like eavesdropping on other people's conversations. The show is about people revealing major secrets they wish they had said before, or announcing pregnancies or coming out, and I get to be a witness to that.

"It’s my dream show because often I’ll be in a restaurant with my husband Chris and he'll be holding my hand, being lovely, but I’m not really focusing because I’m listening to the people at the table next to us!"

What was your favourite story on the show? "I really can't give too much away, but there was a huge story of a family who had given up a child back in the 1960s and we found them. It was a massive surprise and it was so emotional."

Why is it set in a tea room? "It creates a very relaxing, homely atmosphere, and it’s a very English setting for a show that is really very British – a lot of people took a long time to get to the point, whereas in America they’re much more open.

"This programme wouldn’t work there actually, because they’d just come straight out with the secrets. I love the cafe by the way, I'd like to actually own one!"

 We hear you’ve even done some waitressing? "Yes, I enjoyed it! My mum used to have a hotel in Bournemouth, and I was the waitress and the chambermaid, and I did the entertainment at Christmas. I used to really love meeting different people and serving food.

"I’m a real stickler for service as well when I go out, I hate bad service and people who don’t get your order right because I used to try really hard. I always describe myself as a waitress that got lucky and that’s still who I am."

Would you like to do a celebrity version? "That would be amazing, David Walliams and Simon Cowell could finally confess their love for each other! Or actually David would confess and Simon would give him a cake in his face. I’d probably rather we made the show with nice normal people…"

Do you have a secret you could confess in the tea room? "Well, my husband is really good at getting secrets out of me usually, but I do buy too many clothes, which I hide in the bottom of bins – I make sure he's out when I bring the shopping bags in! That's something I’d never confess to, but I’m sure loads of women do it."

It’s great to see you presenting, but we hear you’re also making a acting comeback too? "Yes, I’m doing a play called Stepping Out, which will be in the West End next year. It’s about a group of women who go to tap dancing lessons at a church hall, and I’m doing it with my friends Angela Griffin, Nicola Stevenson, Tamzin, Outhwaite and Tracey Ann Oberman. I’m really excited to get my tap shoes on!"

Amanda Holden has ditched her clothes to extol the virtues of ditching meat from your diet.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 45, lies naked on a bed of green cabbages with just the words 'Go Veggie: Your body will love you for it' to cover her modesty.

(Trevor Leighton/Peta)

The un-retouched Peta campaign points out that vegetarians are, on average, slimmer than carnivores and have lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

Amanda said: “My vegetarian lifestyle keeps my body trim, gives me loads of energy and makes me feel happy. So when Peta suggested not retouching this image, I said, “Why not?” – the image is as natural as my lifestyle.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOLsRedBP9g&feature=oembed

“I have been a vegetarian since I was 13. For me, there are many benefits. My skin’s always good. I never feel bloated. The best thing you can do for animals is to just leave them off your plate.”

The campaign also hopes to raise awareness that going vegetarian will reduce your carbon footprint and spare potential animal suffering on factory farms, in abattoirs and on fishing boats.

Amanda joins the ranks of Sir Paul McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Pamela Anderson, John Bishop and Lucy Watson who have all teamed up with Peta to promote meat-free meals.

The battle to become the 10th winner of Britain’s Got Talent began in earnest with the first live semi-final, presented by Ant and Dec.

100 Voices of Gospel – Alesha Dixon’s Golden Buzzer act – were the last act to perform, but it quickly became clear that they would be the first to go through to the finals.

The 100 Voices of Gospel celebrate being voted through to the BGT final

The choir won the most public votes and massive praise from all of the judges.

“That was in such a different league to anything else we heard tonight,” Simon Cowell told them, after their performance of “I’ve Got My Heart Set On You”.

“That was more than a vocal performance; it was a show. This is the kind of act that could and should win.”

“The energy you created was incredible,” Alesha said. “I just love you. I want to join your group. Whenever you’re singing you make people want to be a part of it.”

“Praise the lord for sharing,” added David Walliams. “So completely joyous. We were all jumping out of our seats, even the grumpy one on the end.”

The judges then had to choose between Welsh singer Kathleen Jenkins and mum and son singing duo Mel and Jamie for the second finalist… And they couldn’t do it.

The judges couldn't choose between Mel and Jamie and Kathleen Jenkins, so it went to the public vote

The judges’ vote was split, so it went back to the public vote – and it was Mel and Jamie who came out on top.

“On paper you’re not the kind of thing I’d like,” Simon told Mel and Jamie. “But what you do works. I’m really happy for you.”

“You can’t get away from genetics,” added Amanda Holden. “You sing in perfect harmony and you did even better than your audition. You are just beautiful together.”

Mel and Jamie are shocked to hear that they will be in the BGT final

“That was stunning,” Alesha agreed.

Kathleen Jenkins had also earned high praise from the judges, so their inability to be able to choose between Kathleen and Mel and Jamie was, perhaps, predictable.

“I have a feeling Britain is going to get behind you tonight,” Simon told Kathleen after she sang the Moulin Rouge hit “One Day I’ll Fly Away”.

Kathleen Jenkins split the judges and lost out to the public vote

And the voters did…just not quite enough of them.

You can see the whole story of the first semi-final in our picture special here.

Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals continues on ITV, Monday, May 23, 7.30pm with the following acts competing for a place in the final:

Alex Magala

Another Kind of Blue

The Garnett Family

Ian and Anne Marshall (David’s Golden Buzzer act)

Mythical PSM

Rachael Wooding

Shannon and Peter

Vitaly Voronko

Wayne Woodward

There's more on those acts here.

And, remember, two wild cards will be chosen at the end of the week, one voted for by viewers, one by the judges. So we may not have seen the last of Kathleen Jenkins…

The nine acts who took the stage for Britain's Got Talent's first live semi-final

100 Voices of Gospel won first BGT 2016 semi-final singing I've Got My Heart Set On You

"Praise the Lord for sharing! That was completely joyous," David Walliams told 100 Voices of Gospel

The judges were on their feet at the end of 100 Voices of Gospel's performance. Well, except Simon Cowell…but he did tell them they should win the whole contest

Mum and son singer Mel and Jamie also went through to the final when the judges were tied and let the decision go to the public vote

Kathleen Jenkins sang the Moulin Rouge hit "One Day I'll Fly Away" – but failed to fly into the final, beaten at the finish line by Mel and Jamie

Impressionist Darren Altman came fourth. "I thought your performance tonight was terrible," Simon Cowell told him

Leicester-based dance group Total TXS were fifth. They included a Spice Girls routine in their act…but it wasn't spicy enough for the voting public

Spartans Resurrection, the fantastic gymnastic performers, didn't have a big enough ending for Amanda Holden, or the voters, and came sixth

Ben Blaque's mastery with a crossbow was put to the test with help from Alesha Dixon, who pulled the trigger. Ben lived to shoot again – but not in the final, coming seventh

"Do you know what? This is fun!" Alesha said, as she fired Ben's crossbow's. Not so fun for him when two bows accidentally fired at once! Panic not, though, no one was hurt

The usually colourful Richard Bayton started his performance much more subdued, singing "One More Day"…

Then Richard whipped off his grey shroud and burst into life, with a medly of songs. Amanda Holden was "thoroughly entertained". But he came eighth

Simon Cowell said the The Ystrad Fawr Dancers gave a "lazy" performance. But David Walliams challenged Simon to do better…

welshdancegroup2

David told Simon to "listen to the people" when he criticised Ystrad Fawr Dancers. But they came last. Britain's Got Talent semi-finals continue on ITV, Monday, May 23, 7.30pm

He was far too sexy for a shirt – and acrobat Charlie Placais knew it when he took the stage in the final round of auditions for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.

Charlie dunked himself in a bathtub and then, dripping wet, threw himself around in a series of aerial acrobatic moves.

“You were mesmerising,” judge Alesha Dixon told him. “Super sexy. Your upper body strength is incredible.”

Charlie takes going for a dip to a whole new level

“I don’t even need to ask David what he thought,” Simon Cowell said and, with Amanda Holden enthusiastic agreement, Charlie was through to the next round.

But David Walliams hadn’t finished with him…

“I need to tell him it’s a ‘yes’ from me!” he shouted and chased Charlie backstage. “Just to say well done, fantastic, brilliant stuff,” David told Charlie, giving him a big, lingering hug.

Basketball freestylers Dunking Devils, from Slovenia, also flew around the stage, showing that basketball would have a lot more fans if it was always played their way, with Superman dunking the ball from the air.

They earned a massive round of applause from the audience and the judges but co-presenter Ant McPartlin stole a bit of their thunder at the end of their performance by sinking a ball through the hoop from the wings! He raced on stage to celebrate and got a hug from Superman for his amazing effort.

You can see it in the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzgPQ9DEKTo

Dance group Bollywest Fusion had the judges trying to come up with a new name for their dance style…

“I love Bollywood dancing and the fact that you fused it with hip-hop makes it really fresh,” Alesha told them.

“You know what we can call it?” Simon told her. “Boll-Hop.”

“Bolly-Hop is better,” Alesha told him.

Bollywest Fusion had all the right moves for the judges

Comic magician Christian Lee divided the judges but they all agreed he should reach the next round.

His routine involved a pack of cards, a big balloon, a leaf blower – and some help from Amanda.

It all ended with Amanda joining Christian in a mime of that iconic Titanic “I’m flying” scene with Kate

Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Magician Christian Lee shared a Titanic moment with Amanda

“You’re funny,” Simon told Christian, “but I don’t think the magic was great.”

“I think you’re brilliant,” David said. “You deserve a much bigger audience.”

But will he get one?

The judges then had to choose the 40 acts joining the five Golden Buzzer winners for the live semi-finals.

And we can reveal that the first live semi-final on Sunday night will feature:

100 Voices of Gospel (Alesha’s Golden Buzzer act)

Ben Blaque

Darren Altman

Kathleen Jenkins

Mel & Jamie

Richard Bayton

Spartans Resurrection

Total TXS

Ystrad Fawr Dancers

Britain’s Got Talent continues with the start of the live semi-finals on ITV Sunday, May 22, 7.30pm

Anne and Ian Marshall’s 44-year love story won over all the Britain’s Got Talent judges and the audience…but it was David Walliams who jumped on the judges’ table and stamped on the Golden Buzzer after their performance.

Anne and Ian, in their sixties, sang Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love because “it shows how we feel about each other”, they told the panel.

David goes for gold with singing couple Anne and Ian

“We were soldiers when we met,” they said. “We met on a Wednesday and married the following Saturday. People said it would never last.

“It will last till the end of our lives,” Anne added, looking at Ian.

Their performance had David, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon up on their feet and dancing. Then David danced around Simon Cowell. Then he danced on the judges’ table.

And when Anne and Ian finished, David stamped on the Golden Buzzer and sent them straight through to the semi-finals.

Anne and Ian enjoy their golden moment

“I think the pair of you really are the spirit of Britain’s Got Talent,” he told the delighted couple. “You have this beautiful relationship.”

But did Simon agree?

“Actually, for once, I get it,” he said. “Acts like you make me love this show.”

None of the judges got quite so soppy over the other acts auditioning – but there was a few that made them sit up and take note.

Craig Ball and Balance were two very different impressionists – but the judges were full of praise for both of them.

Craig sang the Miley Cyrus hit Wrecking Ball – but in the voices of a whole host of characters, including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

Craig Ball smashed it with his impressions, with Kermit just one of many voices he mimicked

“It was current and it was clever. I think we may have discovered a big star,” Simon said.

“A brilliantly original way to do impressions,” added David.

Balance (real name Taylor Goodridge) did dance impressions - including one of former BGT contestant Susan Boyle – that impressed everyone.

“Any time we have a problem with a dance groups not being imaginative or unique, I’m going to say, ‘Just watch Balance’,” said Simon. “You made it unique and funny.”

Dancer Balance was on point with his routine

“Fantastic to watch,” said Amanda.

The judges were all agreed on the Presentation School Choir from Ireland, too.

Simon was particularly taken with the choir leader, Veronica, telling her she looks “cute”.

But he did have a criticism after they had performed Adiemus by Karl Jenkins.

Choir leader Veronica got a massive compliment from Simon – then criticism

“The song didn’t showcase their voices until the end,” said Simon.

But he loved the choreography and so did Alesha.

“Veronica, you are cool!” Alesha shouted.

“Beautiful blend of voices and the choreography worked perfectly,” added David.

Kathleen Jenkins, a cleaner from Wales, showed off her voice beautifully, even though she was nervous.

After she sang Wild Horses all the judges were on their feet and the audience was shouting for more.

“Kathleen, I’ve been waiting for you,” Simon told her. “You’re some who has just got ‘it’. I love everything about you…the tone of your voice, the way you controlled the song. I think you’re really, really special.”

“Your nerves added to your charm,” added Alesha. “I want more.”

Singer Kathleen Jenkins hid her nerves and had the audience shouting for more

“That felt so emotional,” said David. “You have a God-given talent and the world needs to hear it.”

You can see all 13 acts from this round of the auditions here, including the dancing dinosaur.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV, Saturday 30, 8.00pm.

Judges Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden on celebrating a decade of Britain’s Got Talent with more magical moments, practical jokes and cake.

This year marks the show’s 10th anniversary, have you been celebrating?

Alesha: "There’s been lots of cake, and a giant cake, in fact! It’s a real milestone for the show and we’ve all felt the pressure more than usual because we want to do the public proud."

Simon, you also appear to be enjoying yourself… .

"This is such a fun show to do. I love doing The X Factor, but when you finish that and then go onto this, it’s much easier. And this first part of the series is hilarious. I think Britain’s Got Talent has lasted so long because whether you’re a dog, a cat or a stripping pensioner, we don’t care, you can all come on the show."

Amanda, last year you said the 2015 series might be your last – are you glad to be back?

"I love it, and it really hit home how much when I realised my daughter Lexi, who is 10 this year, has grown up with it. It’s a real family show. It’s safe, wholesome and hilarious, and the live shows have turned into something of an event. You can watch them with everyone together, like a street party. It really is the beating heart of Britain."

This is your fifth year together as judges, what's the secret to a happy panel?

Alesha: "We hit it off from day one. There’s a natural chemistry and rapport between us, and over the years the relationship has become stronger. We know each other so well now and it’s a settled panel in that respect. I think the public like that.

"We’re a strong, dysfunctional family and we can say things to each other and get away with it because we are super-comfortable. We constantly wind each other up and it’s the battle of the egos with David and Simon. It continues when the cameras stop rolling, and Amanda and I have to tell them both off."

Dog trainer Jules O’Dwyer and her tight-rope-walking pooch Matisse won last series – what are you on the look-out for this year?

Alesha: "We see something different every series and I love that. There have been a lot of dangerous and difficult-to-watch acts, which I find cringey, but they make fantastic telly. We’ve also seen more magicians, who were probably inspired to come forward after Jamie Raven and Darcy Oakes did so well.

"In order to win, though, you really have to capture everyone’s imagination, whether it’s doing something daring or making that emotional connection with people. We want to be blown away and surprised.

And can we expect more celebrations come the live shows? 

Amanda: "You know what Simon’s like, he’s probably concocting an evil plan…"

Simon: "We’re going to bring back some big moments from over the years and try to make it as surprising as possible."

Finally, Alesha, we hear you have plans for a spin-off show? 

Alesha: "We always discuss how we can somehow get an X-rated BGT to go out after hours, with all the footage you never see and couldn’t show at 8pm. That would be great TV!"

Amanda: "It would be career ending! The stuff we say and the people we talk about… it would be so bad we would have to leave the country. I’m not even joking!"

Britain’s Got Talent celebrates 10 years of amazing talent – and not so amazing talent – when it returns to ITV this spring. And fans will be excited to know that a fairy-tale-themed trailer for the new series will air on ITV tonight, Friday 11 March!

The amazing ad sees the judges – Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliam – and hosts Ant and Dec taking viewers into a magical world where they recount the story of the talent that BGT is famed for and the fairy-tale journey which the acts encounter when they enter the biggest entertainment show on TV. Oh, and it includes David Walliams doing this in his pants…

Amanda plays the part of Cinderella. It looks like the clock's struck midnight judging by her coach!

When the new series arrives on ITV, viewers will once more be amazed and astounded by a remarkable line-up of acts, one of which will get their happy ever after when they eventually get crowned as the 10th winner of Britain’s Got Talent. Let's hope Simon looks a bit more impressed at the auditions than he does here…!

The British public were voting again - and this time the winners were Jules and her Border Collie Matisse in the final of Britain’s Got Talent.

Simon Cowell was confident his Golden Buzzer act Calum Scott would win, but Calum completely messed up the first half of his song and came sixth.

Jules & Matisse, on the other hand, put in a flawless performance when they took to the stage as the last act of the final… Their routine was about sausage thief Matisse being chased by cop Jules - and they had a secret weapon: three-legged Skippy, a little dog that Matisse had stolen the sausages for.

Cue four judges in tears.

“Matisse stole the sausages for the three-legged dog,” blubbed David Walliams.

“It was just the most wonderful little story,” added Amanda Holden. “I’m crying my eyes out.”

“That was just magical,” said Alesha Dixon.

“Maybe we just saved the best till last,” Simon said.

And it turned out they had.

Jules and Matisse have won a slot on The Royal Variety Performance on ITV at the end of the year, and Jules joked to presenters Ant and Dec: “I’m going to have to buy a corgi now.”

Well, she also won £250,000, so she can afford one.

Magician Jamie Raven came second and said: “Well, at least I was the most talented human in the final," he laughed.

Welsh choir Cor Glanaethwy had been the favourites going into the final but were placed third.

Alesha’s Golden Buzzer act, Entity Allstars, came 11th, just beating Ant and Dec’s Golden Buzzer act Boyband, who only made it to the final as the judges’ Wild Card.

The viewers’ Wild Card finalist, mini Ninja Jesse-Jane McParland, came eighth.

Click here for the whole story of the Britain's Got Talent final, told in pictures.

Welsh choir Cor Glanaethwy won the public vote of Britain’s Got Talent’s first semi final with a rousing performance of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s hit The Prayer.

“It was powerful, emotional. Wales right now will be bursting with pride after that,” Simon Cowell said.

“You made my heart burst,” added Amanda Holden. “That’s one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. I honestly think you could win the entire series.”

“I was sitting here with tears in my eyes,” said David Walliams. “That really was world-class.”

“You are superb,” Alesha Dixon agreed.

The judges then had to choose between Alesha’s Golden Buzzer act, dance group Entity Allstars, and12-year-old singer Henry Gallagher, voting three to one for Entity Allstars.

“I’m so proud of you,” Alesha told the dancers, who performed a Harry Potter-themed routine - with an unscripted stumble at the end.

But perhaps the biggest excitement of the night was the new Guinness World Record set by Cally the Wonderdog, popping 100 balloons in 41.67 seconds and beating the current record of 44.9 seconds held by an American dog called Anastasia for 10 years.

Cally had failed at the record attempt in her audition but definitely made the most of her second chance.

“And if Cally makes it to the final, the daughter of Anastasia will come from America to compete against her.”

Well, that match is off.

David’s Golden Buzzer act, Lorraine Brown, failed to win over the voters and Simon buzzed her, but the other judges let her finish her quite bizarre routine, singing a song about living in space.

“Simon’s just jealous that I have the winning act,” David told Lorraine.

Er, no you don’t, David.

But what the judges really didn’t like was impressionist Andrew Fleming.

Alesha and Amanda buzzed him but Simon and David let him finish his act…then delivered the bad news…

“That was not as good as the first time,” Simon told him.

“Sorry, I know it’s not easy but I wasn’t belly laughing,” Alesha told Andrew. “I thought your act was dated.”

“Same here,” Amanda said. “I just don’t think you’ve got it.”

Also trying for - but failing to win - a place in the final were singer Becky O’Brien, Ruby Red Performers, and roller-skating brother and sister Billy and Emily England.

Britain’s Got Talent Live Semi-Finals continue on ITV, Tuesday, May 26, 7.30pm.

All the auditions are over and, on Bank Holiday Monday, the live semi-finals begin and will run nightly.

So, who are the 40 acts that judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams put through to compete with the five Golden Buzzer acts?

Here they are:

VARIETY ACTS

The judges say that what they would love to put before the Queen is a variety act…

So how about nine-year-old Jesse Jane McParland (pictured), who flew about the stage with a sword in her martial arts performance?

Hula hoop performer Lisa Sampson was also something different in her audition. But how different can she be in the semis?

And will Peter Lambert be able to get on his uni cycle this time around?

DOG ACTS

Jules trains guide dogs - and her Border Collie Matisse. Their audition brought the judges and audience to their feet.

Mitch and Cally The Wonderdog want to break the Guinness World Record for popping the most balloons in a minute. Cally failed in the audition but has been given a second chance.

Controversial ventriloquist Marc Metral is back with his dog Wendy, who appears to speak due to a fake nose and tongue attached to her like a muzzle. Will that put viewers off voting?

MAGICIANS

Simon said he now “believes in magic” after Jamie Raven’s audition. Will he still believe after his semi-final performance?

Jeffrey Drayton was judged to be so bad he was good in his auction with puppet Chantel.

Austrian Michael Late’s audition was just good enough to get him. Will he get past the viewer vote?

How did Chloe Louise Crawford get from the BGT stage to a balcony? And what will she do in her semi-final performance?

IMPRESSIONISTS

Andrew Fleming is bitter that he hasn’t made it big so far. Having seen his audition, the judges have decided he deserves a shot at fame.

Judges also liked Danny Posthill’s impressions of David Beckham, Billy Connolly and Gary Barlow.

DANCERS

When Luca Calo strutted out in very high heels, he started off singing and Simon, Amanda and Alesha buzzed. Then he started busting some eye-popping moves… That’s what got him through to the live semis.

The judges could barely watch Bonetics, a dancer-contortionist, but we’ll be seeing him again.

Brother-and-sister roller-skating act Billy and Emily England skated through after making the judges gasp with their fearless dance routine.

Remember Old Men Grooving, the dancing dads? They’ll be dancing again, too.

The other oldies but goodies, burlesque dance group Ruby Red Performers, are also through. Will they be stripping off again?

Siberia’s UDI, who teach dance to disabled and orphaned children, will return with another neon show.

OK Worldwide, the free-running, breakdancing, four-man dance troupe, also made it through.

Jonathan Lutwyche, from Gibraltar, performed his own contemporary dance that Amanda thought was “beautiful and heartfelt”.

Tap-dancing Beat Brothers are also through. Will they dance topless to please David?

Seventeen-year-old Dylan Byrd left home in Ireland for the first time to audition and the judges have made it worth his while…so far.

The 12-piece dance group Groove Thing, aged seven to 11 years, were just “too cute”, said Amanda.

Twenty-six-piece dance troupe IMD Legion include dance duo Lauren and Terrell, who auditioned for BGT last year.

Plus Entity Allstars, Alesha’s Golden Buzzer act and Boyband, who are Ant and Dec’s Golden Buzzer act.

MUSICIANS

Simon Cowell likes family acts and he liked the Kanneh-Masons, two brothers and four sisters who performed classical music playing piano, violins and cellos.

Simon didn’t like Narinder Dhani’s comb-playing routine, but he’s in the semi-finals.

SINGING GROUPS

The Kingdom Tenors - there’s 12 of them! - raised the roof with their performance of Westlife’s You Raise Me Up

Possibly the cutest boy group of this year’s show, The Sakyi Five - all brothers - stumbled with their first song, but won over Simon with their next choice, 1D’s Little Things.

Also through is The Neales: Dad Laurie and his three sons, who are helping Dad live out his dream.

The Honeybuns were the very last act to audition, singing It’s Raining Men and being showered with praise.

Misstasia are a very different girl group, singing Disney’s Part Of Your World from The Little Mermaid.

The 160-piece choir Cor Glanaethwy from Wales packed out the stage and you could have heard a pin drop as they sang Hosanna In Excelsis.

“I felt like I was being welcomed in Heaven,” David told them.

Plus Revelation Avenue, Amanda’s Golden Buzzer act.

SOLO SINGERS

Teacher and mother of five Becky O’Brien, 34, sang Over The Rainbow as is over the moon to be in the semis.

Ella Shaw, 18, sang her own song Summertime at her audition and it got her into the semis.

Super nervous opera singer Emma Jones, 23, got a standing ovation at her audition after singing Ave Maria.

Eleven-year-old Gracie Wickens-Sweet, who Simon said was “cute and very controlled” after she sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

The also-cute Henry Gallager, 12, who sang his own song, Lightening, about a girl he has a crush on

Another 12-year-old, Maia Gough, who belted out Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing

Isaac Waddington, who blew the judges away with his performance at the piano, singing Billy Joel’s  Always A Woman

Alison Jiear, 50, who sang You’ll Never Walk Alone. Not quite unknown as she has received a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Jerry Spring: The Opera

Plus Calum Scott, who was Simon’s Golden Buzzer act and Lorraine Bowen, who is David’s Golden Buzzer act.

Britain’s Got Talent Live Semi-Finals start on ITV, Monday, May 25, 7.30pm and run nightly.

The last round of auditions for Britain’s Got Talent had five acts that made it through to the top 40 for the live semi-finals.

But it was Jules and Matisse - especially Matisse - who won the hearts of the audience and judges.

Matisse is a seven-year-old Border Collie that, Simon Cowell says, “is the smartest dog I’ve ever seen” (and that’s without any gadgets in its mouth). Jules is the woman who loves Matisse and trained him.

“We’re going to perform a dog dance,” Jules told the judges. “But I can’t dance.”

Uh-oh.

“We’ve entered because I’ve always thought Matisse is special.”

Special enough to win, like Ashleigh and Pudsey in 2012?

Their act was Jules playing the evil dog catcher, with Matisse dancing away from her. The audience loved them and the all the judges were on their feet at the end.

“The relationship between the two of you reminds me of me and Simon,” said David Walliams. “It was joyous. Very clever routine.”

“I felt like I was nine years old again,” Amanda Holden smiled. “It was a faultless story and routine.”

“It was brilliant,” added Alesha Dixon.

And Jules and Matisse will perform again in the live semi-finals.

So will family act the Kanneh Masons, six brothers and sisters who perform classical music on piano, cello and violins.

“We thought, ‘Why not form a group and see what happens,’ they told the judges.

What happened is everyone loved them.

Austrian magician Michael Late worked enough magic to get through to the semis, too. So did impressionist Andrew Flemming, despite his angry rant. More on him here.

Six-piece girl band The Honeybuns were the last act to audition for 2015 - the lucky last, as they also made it through to the semis.

“We met at Weight Watchers. As you can tell, that didn’t really work,” they said. Then they launched into It’s Raining Men.

“It’s really my anthem, that song,” David told the girls.

“It was fun,” Simon said. “I like your personalities. But I kind of feel this is more cruise ship entertainment.”

“Don’t know if we’d fit on a cruise ship!” laughed the Honeybuns.

But there’s room for them in the semis.

“This is going to be the craziest finals we’ve ever done,” said Simon.

The Britain’s Got Talent Live Semi-Finals start on ITV, Monday, May 25, 7.30pm.

Click here for our photo special on all the acts in the last round of auditions

The final night of auditions for Britain’s Got Talent 2015, looked like turning into a very sour event when impressionist Andrew Fleming took the stage.

“This is what I do for a living and it keeps me unemployed,’ Michael told the judges. “If there was an MOT test for people on TV, a lot of them would fail. This is an unfair business.”

That stunned the audience and the judges.

So did Andrew’s performance: Meat Loaf singing “My Old Man’s A Dustman”, Cilla Black flattering Amanda Holden… The audience loved Andrew - and so did the judges.

“Very, very funny,” David Walliams said.

“Your impressions are second to none,” added Amanda.

“Such a good audition,” Alesha Dixon said.

“You’re refreshingly bitter,” Simon told Andrew. “I thought the act was great. One of my favourites. The angry impersonator… I think it suits you.

“I’d like to hear more of that in your act, how much you hate people. Let it all out.”

And Andrew will get the chance to do just that as he was put through to the Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals, which start on ITV, Monday, May 25, 7.30pm.

Click here for our photo special on the final round of auditions

Tonight’s final round of auditions is followed by a heated debate between judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams about who goes through to live semi-finals, which start on Monday, May 25.

Already guaranteed their spot in the live semis are the Gold Buzzer acts from the auditions and they are: Ant and Dec’s choice, the dance group Boyband; Simon’s singer, Calum Scott; Alesha’s street dance group, Entity Allstars; Amanda’s gospel choir Revelation Avenue; and David’s singer, Lorraine Bowen.

But there are still 200 acts hoping to claim one of the 40 places in the semi-finals.

Among them are a talking dog, a mini ninja, a dare-devil, brother-sister roller-skating act, and a hula hoop dancer that had the judges whooping in her audition.

Don't miss our preview of the acts in the final round of auditions here.

Britain’s Got Talent final auditions and judges decisions, ITV, Saturday, May 23, 8.00pm.

Britain’s Got Talent Live Semi-finals, ITV, Mon-Fri, 7.30pm.

Britain’s Got Talent Live Final, ITV, Sunday, May 31, 7.30pm.

And, below, a reminder of the Golden Buzzer acts

http://youtube.com/v/TkhhNfYwFIw

http://youtube.com/v/WSinMOs5eGw

http://youtube.com/v/CfaXgOUGA_0

http://youtube.com/v/oXhNIS4nKL8

http://youtube.com/v/51JSTXhfx3c

There was a distinct lack of dogs* in the penultimate set of auditions this week, but that doesn’t mean the show was any less entertaining. Among the acts was a troupe of tap-dancing pensioners, a seven-year-old boy playing the piano blindfolded, a vocal harmony group made up of 12 hunky fellas, a woman singing a song about her love of crumble and an extremely bendy young man!

There were quite a few decent singing acts in this lot of auditions. Among them were 10-year-old Gracie Wickens-Sweet, who performed Somewhere Over The Rainbow, as if a place at stage school depended on it. Meanwhile, Daniel Chettoe can definitely sing but, as Simon said, it did sound like he had swallowed an old man (not a nice image, we know) and it was the poor old fella’s voice that was coming out.  

And when The Kingdom Tenors strolled onto stage – the sight of 12   not-unattractive and fairly fit young men was enough to get a yes from us. But of course, you can’t get by on your looks alone and you can’t just bring a group of fitties on stage and call it an act! What would the Queen say? Luckily, the boys happen to be a great vocal harmony group so their performance of You Raise Me Up saw them through to the next stage of the Britain’s Got Talent process.

Talking of singing groups, another hit of the night was The Sakyi Five – brothers Reece, Aaron, Carl, Eden and Emmanuel. Their audition didn’t get off to the best of starts but they redeemed themselves with a rendition of One Direction’s Little Things.

Probably the best vocal performance of the night was from Emma Jones, who was nervous about singing in front of the crowd and the judges. After a montage of failed auditions by other acts to show us what happens when your nerves get the better of you, Emma took the stage. Would she get through her performance without falling to bits? Of course she would! Her rendition of Ave Maria brought up the hairs on the back of our necks. The judges loved her and gave her four yeses.

Dance-wise, we had a funky routine by Groove Thing – a young dance troupe of girls fronted by cute-as-a-button lad Ben; Luca Calo, a 23-year-old barman who showed off his dancing skills while wearing a pair of very high heels; four pensioners calling themselves The Cocooners, who had us fooled before a quick costume change saw them break into an energetic tap dance routine. But the stand-out dance act was Bonetics – aka student Junior – who’s probably the bendiest young man we have ever seen!

At the start of the show, David was the only judge who hadn’t hit the golden buzzer. But that changed when Lorraine Bowen turned up and sang a song about making crumble while playing the keyboard on an ironing board! It was a bit controversial considering the other judges had hit their red buzzers. Like Mr Walliams, we loved Lorraine’s performance and look forward to seeing her in the semi-finals. And is’t that song catchy? Altogether now, “Everybody’s good at cooking something, and I’m good at cooking crumble…”

*If you missed the presence of a dog-based act in tonight’s show, don’t worry there’s one in next week’s final set of auditions!

You may have probably wondered at some point in your life: “If I could save only ONE person on a stranded boat, who would it be?”

For Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, however, there’s someone she would definitely not like to save, and you can probably guess who it is. It’s Simon Cowell.

Would Simon Cowell be too fussy to save? (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Asked which of her co-hosts she would save if she had one spot on a lifeboat, she told The Independent Magazine that Cowell would be dreadful – “because I’d have to look after him”.

David Walliams would be a better person to have on her boat as he would make a rather filling meal. “David would be good – he could be killed and I could end up living off him for about a year,” said Amanda. “He’s quite a bulky chap.”

David Walliams would make a filling meal (Ian West/PA)

In the end, girl power triumphed over cross-dressing comedians and acid-tongued music moguls and Amanda decided Alesha Dixon was the best choice, because “we’d turn into warriors and fish and throw spears. We’d be fine”.

Alesha Dixon would make a perfect warrior girl (Yui Mok/PA)

That could make a TV show all of its own.

Expect an array of eye-popping stunts as Britain's Got Talent continues with more auditions tonight.

There's a Victorian-style strongman, a death-defying trampolinist, a sexy American magician and a balloon-bursting dog!

Mitch and his long-haired Jack Russell Cally The Wonderdog attempt to break the world record for the most balloons popped in a minute. Unfortunately, the super-cute pooch struggles in her record-breaking attempt, but dog-lover Simon Cowell may be prepared to forgive the Jack Russell, saying he is, “Really, really gutted” for her.

Cally The Wonderdog pops balloons (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames TV)

Meanwhile, Amanda becomes part of an act when Daniel Crute, a 40-year-old builder and labourer turns up on the stage as Leopold Aleksander. The strongman act shows the audience just how strong he is by lifting the judge over his head.

Another act who wows the audience and judges is Russian-born Vladimir Georgievsky from Swansea, who has everyone gasping and grimacing with his death-defying trampoline act.

Vladimir Georgievsky on Britain’s Got Talent (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames TV)

The 45-year-old father-of-two said he discovered his talent when he bought a trampoline for his two sons to play on.

He then proceeds to wow with his slapstick acrobatics, which see him appear to fall down a ladder, get his head stuck in the springs of the trampoline and crashing into a diving board as he leaps and bounds around.

Vladimir Georgievsky has audiences groaning at his slapstick acrobatics (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames TV)

David Walliams laughs: “I think you’re secretly really good at trampolining, aren’t you?”

Las Vegas magician’s assistant Chloe Crawford proves she has learned a few tricks of the trade with her incredible illusion involving a motorbike.

Simon is not usually a fan of magic acts, but it seems that the 26-year-old blonde may be the one to convert him.

He tells her: “You’ve kind of brought Vegas back to London and I like that. And you are someone we’re going to remember.”

Chloe impresses Simon with her magic act (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames TV)

Alesha Dixon adds: “It’s refreshing to see a beautiful woman doing magic.”

This little girl looked like she would burst into a performance of “Let It Go” as she stepped lightly onto the stage in the fourth round of auditions. And Amanda Holden would have loved that; it’s one of her favourites.

But 12-year-old Maia Goughfrom South Wales stunned all the judges with her song choice: Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing”.

“I wasn’t sure you would be able to hit the notes,” Amanda told Maia. “But for a 12 year old that was mind-glowingly fantastic.”

“For all the right reasons, you’re the one I’m going to remember from today’s auditions,” added Simon Cowell. “You are someone to watch.”

“Sometimes people ask why we have children on Britain’s Got Talent and it’s because sometimes they’re better than the adults. And you were today,” David Walliams told Maia. “You really are a diva. You can hold our attention as well as any adult.”

Someone who got Amanda’s attention for all the wrong reasons was Aaron Marshall.

Amanda was excited after Aaron walked out on stage and the music to Frozen’s “Let It Go” started playing. Then Aaron started singing…

“That’s how the voice in Simon’s head sounds,” David laughed at Aaron’s harsh, rasping voice.

“It’s as if Satan’s singing it,” Amanda screamed and told Aaron to get off the stage.

But Simon, David and Alesha Dixon kept Aaron on the stage and he got three yeses.

“I can hear you do an album of classics like that,” Simon said.

“I can’t believe it,” Aaron told Ant and Dec afterwards.

“I don’t think anyone can!” they told him.

Amanda got the Disney performance she wanted from Misstasia, who sang “Part of Your World” and all the judges gave them a yes.

“It was incredibly sweet,” David smiled.

“I imagine everywhere you walk birds are always singing and it’s always sunny,” Simon smiled.

Fifteen-year-old Jonathan Lutwyche from Gibraltar stunned the judges with his contemporary dancing.

“I’m not usually a fan of this stuff but you’re brilliant,” Simon told him.

“Never seen anything so beautiful and heartfelt. The British public and Royal family would love to see this,” Amanda added.

But will they?

Click here for our picture gallery of all the acts from the Week Four auditions.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV, Saturday May 9, 8.00pm.

Amanda Holden has told how a therapist helped her to stop panicking about her own mortality after she nearly died giving birth to her second daughter.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 44, suffered a stillbirth when her son, Theo, died when she was 28 weeks' pregnant, and later, during the birth of Hollie, doctors induced a coma under general anaesthetic for three days.

Amanda told Good Housekeeping magazine: “My therapist told me I had no more tools or coping mechanism left. She was very good at giving me sentences to say to myself to make me stop panicking about my own mortality.

"I think you have none of these worries unless you've got children. If it had just been me and (husband) Chris (Hughes) and I'd died, it would have been awful for him but nowhere near as bad as a child losing their mother.

“It makes you suddenly think, I have to live. I’ve got to live, but I’ve got to try and live a good, happy life for me too and I think that’s why I faced up to the fact that I needed to speak to somebody. It was a really good thing.”

The mother-of-two said that she was not trying for another child.

“I’m not allowed. I would be dead the next time. And I think Chris would say you can have them but you’re not having them with me. I’ve got the two I’m supposed to have. I just had to complete my family to feel like I could be me,” she said.

As well as Britain’s Got Talent, Amanda is currently filling in for Holly Willoughby while she is on maternity leave, on ITV breakfast show This Morning.

But she said that she could return to acting: “There is a sitcom being written for me, which is in its early stages. It's very funny and very out there. My character is a bit like Patsy from Ab Fab.

“I always thought I should be Joanna Lumley's lovechild! I almost did a play last year but I chickened out. It was very heavy and about the death of a child. I need to come away from all of that stuff now."

Amanda also revealed her beauty secrets – collagen waves and big eyebrows.

“Hot rollers are put all over your face and it plumps it up and lifts it. It’s made my skin puffier in a good way… Growing your eyebrows makes you much younger, apparently. So I've got very bushy eyebrows.”

She said of her love for her husband: "The minute I met him, my life changed so much for the better. He has a great perspective on life. He makes me stop, he’s given me my children and literally stood by my death bed and I really fancy him…

"How I feel about Chris still feels new. We try to do date night but it fails dismally. We’re doing everything that you could possibly do wrong in a marriage! We’re ignoring date nights and watching box sets but it’s working! We feel stronger and it just feels new. Chris is very funny, and in the face of adversity he’s so bad and verging on politically incorrect!"

Amanda added: “When I’m not working, I am a stay at home mum. I do absolutely everything – although not my own ironing. I vowed at 13 that I wouldn't do that! I used to have to do it for 50p extra pocket money a week.

“I used to say to my nan back then, ‘I am never doing my own ironing.’ She used to say, ‘You will for your husband, dear’. Chris went to boarding school so he’s a fantastic ironer. When we’re on holiday, he always asks, ‘Do you want anything ironing, Mandy?’”

Britain's Got Talent continues on Saturdays on ITV.

Press Association

Was it just us or were most of the acts in the third set of auditions pretty flipping poor?

If you look at the 15 acts that we saw on this week's Britain's Got Talent, there were only three that you could call outstanding.

Towards the end of part two, it wasn't just Simon who was losing the will to live. We'd seen two terrible singers in the form of Vince Venus and Paul Netterfield, Bill Picton-Jenkins trying to tell as many jokes (they weren't jokes) in a minute and Matty Hunt – aka Musical Ruth – dressed as a nun playing a piano on wheels. We like the idea of the latter act but it was just a shame that he couldn't sing! There was one act in the middle of it all – Lisa Sampson – who wowed the judges with her hula-hooping skills, but we're still not sure it was a great act.

The same could be said for Hypno Dog and her 'assistant' Krystyna. Okay, so the pooch can hypnotise folk just by looking at them but is it entertainment? 

So it wasn't until the end of part two when we finally saw some true talent in the form of 15-year-old Isaac Waddington from Portsmouth. His rendition of She's Always A Woman To Me by Billy Joel was amazeballs so it's no wonder he got four yeses from the judges. In the bit of video before his performance, Isaac's brother got us all choked up by saying what great mates they were and that he wished he was as talented as his big bro. Sniff! And he wasn't just being biased – Isaac really is talented. Here's a song he wrote himself…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUlutnnM1mY

Next came another slick act – the 25-piece dance crew known as IMD. These kids, aged between 9 and 18 years old, are from East London and their moves got a resounding four yeses from the judges so we'll definitely be seeing them again. Which is more than can be said for 43-year-old dad Andy Davis who screeched out Tragedy by The Bee Gees and Feng Xue who just went round and round on little skateboards while Susan Boyle sang You Raise Me Up! We won't be seeing those two again. With any luck!

Like Musical Ruth, the next act held a lot of promise. But while Mister Sister – a 36-year-old drag artist from Barnsley – got everyone roaring with laughter with her/his can can, we're not sure it was as polished as it could have been. That said, it was good old fashioned entertainment.

The show ended with two choirs, which meant, obviously, that one was going to be bad and one was going to be amazing. 

The idea of an all-female acapella singing group featuring women of all ages singing a medley of Madonna songs sounds good on paper but Affinity's execution left a lot to be desired. It's safe to say their arrangement was all over the place. 

As they quickly received buzzes from all four judges, the other choir, Revelation Avenue, were in the wings worrying that the same fate awaited them. They needn't have worried though because their performance of Katy Perry's Roar was an absolute belter. Not only did they get four yeses, but Amanda decided to hit the golden buzzer to put the group through to the live shows!

Simon Cowell is normally the first judge to hit their buzzer when a dodgy act turns up on the Britain's Got Talent stage.

So, in tonight's show, Simon's fellow judges Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliam are seriously worried when Mr Cowell turns into Mr Nice! 

Simon's funny five minutes happens after he's hypnotised by a dog. 

Hypno Dog – aka a German spitz named Princesss – and her owner Krystyna Lennon turn up at the audition to show the judges that the canine has the power to hypnotise folk just by looking into their eyes.

‘We’ve had instances at the wrong moment when she’s looked as someone and they have fallen out of their seat or gone to sleep so now we keep her out of the way until she’s needed,' explains Krystyna.

Kyrstyna calls for volunteers from the audience and even ropes in Ant and Dec to take part. As they look into Hypno Dog's eyes one by one, they are sent into a slumbering pile on the floor.

Before waking them up, Kystyna tells the volunteers that the number seven doesn't exist so the volunteers are seriously confused when they try to count their fingers and come to eleven!

Unconvinced, Simon goes on stage to see if Hypno Dog can hypnotise him. At first it doesn't seem to work, but when he returns to the judges' desk, he starts yawning.

And it soon becomes clear that Hypno Dog has had some sort of effect on Simon when the judge says yes to the following two acts – 43-year-old dad Andy Davis, who screeches out Tragedy by The Bee Gees and Feng Xue from China who performs on mini skateboards to You Raise Me Up by Susan Boyle!

Find out if Simon comes out of his trance in tonight's Britain's Got Talent on ITV at 8.00pm.

By now we all know presenterAmanda Holden isn't afraid to let her emotions show...

But while she thinks there will be plenty of tears in ITV’s six-part series, Give A Pet A Home (Wednesdays), the Britain’s Got Talent star is also guaranteeing viewers will witness many happy endings, which they can be part of in real life!

Amanda said: “The series is going to show the every day work of the volunteers who help to rescue and re-home unwanted and abused animals. Although there will be some tear-jerking stories along the way we’re also going to have a lot of fun watching the celebrities get stuck in. In the end it’s a show about happy endings – we want to unite as many pets as we can with new owners.”

Julian Clary, Peter Andre, Chris Kamara, Coleen Nolan, Olympian Denise Lewis and ex-Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt, all ditch the glitz and glamour of their daily lives, to get down and dirty at Newbrook Farm Animal Centre in Birmingham.

First the famous faces are put through their paces on an intensive training period by the expert RSPCA staff. Then the heartbreaking work begins for real, as they help the staff rescue and care for animals who’ve suffered neglect and cruelty. From mucking out to going on emergency calls, the stars are exposed to all the realities of working for the RSPCA.

But while tears are a given, each show in the six-part series will see a selection of the rescued animals put up for adoption - with viewers encouraged to apply to give the rescued pets a lovely new life!

Amanda added: “As Brits we are the land of the underdog and the land of pets, I think we really appreciate the loyalty and the love animals give back. It’s only a small minority of people who mistreat animals whereas the majority I hope will watch it and think they can give something back by giving a pet a home.

“It’s not just cats and dogs it’s horses, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds anything really and you’ll see how everything within the RSPCA operates from the ground up. I just hope that every week we’ll have a happy ending and we find lots of homes for otherwise unwanted animals!”

Variety, they say, is the spice of life. And variety is definitely what you get on Britain’s Got Talent. You just never know who or what’s going to turn up on that stage! 

With The Voice, The X Factor and Strictly, it’s all about who can sing or dance the best, so it’s great to see a mixed bag of talent. And like last week, tonight did not disappoint. As well as singing and dancing, there were puppets, cute kids, three clowns with bagpipes, a bunch of breakdancing lads and a 76-year-old men performing a routine with cowbells!

Kicking off the show was 9-year-old Jesse Jane McParland from Northern Ireland who shocked and surprised the judges with a spectacular martial arts performance. Not only was she the first act of the night but she was the first to get a clean sweep of yeses from Simon and co. 

There were two stand-out acts of the evening – the first being Boyband, aka teenagers Corey, Mike, Dylan, Jaih and Mikey. The lads’ hip hop and breakdance routine didn’t only wow the judges but also Ant and Dec, who used their golden buzzer to send the boys straight through to the live shows.

The other stand-out act was 12-year-old Henry Gallagher who performed his own song about a girl he has a crush on. Awwww. Not only did he have everyone ooh-ing and aah-ing in the audience but his singing, dancing and the song itself were all top-notch. Talk about pop star in the making! 

Like Narinder Dhanni, who played tunes on a comb last week, we didn’t expect any of the judges, least of all Simon, to be impressed by a bloke performing with cowbells. But Joseph Friedmann, 76, got a yes from all the judges. Becky O’Brien, a 34-year-old English teacher and mum-of-five from London, was also a hit with the judges, as was magician Jamie Raven, 30. The more senior Jeffrey Drayton, 73, also got through to the next stage of the competition, albeit with only three yeses.

Sent home tonight were: sixty-somethings Jane and Dolores, who got two yeses from the judges with their oddly-titled song You Defrost My Heart At A Million Degrees; Hayley Pyke, a 42-year-old receptionist from Scotland, whose performance of The Show Must Go On with a theatrical mask failed to get any yeses from the judges; musical duo Arlene and Doug from Aberdeen; comedy entertainer Adam Lazarus and his puppet pals from Essex; and comedian Peter Cumine from Winchester.

If you didn't know already, tonight sees Britain’s Got Talent leap back onto our screens for it's ninth series.

A fresh batch of hopefuls will be taking to the stage to chase their dreams – but what about the judges’ first stabs at fame?

We take a look at the not-so glamorous origins of Simon, Amanda, David and Alesha.

Simon Cowell

Then:

He’s made millions out of his spiky remarks and ruthless rejections, but before the BGTs, X Factors and Pop Idols, Simon had his own stab at a pop career. Aged 23 he dressed up as blue disco dog Wonderdog and released a track called Ruff Mix. It reached number 31 in the charts.

Now: 

With a cool net worth of £29 million and a stream of successful talent shows on both sides of the pond, Cowell’s early howler has not stopped him from being one of the biggest names in the business.

Simon Cowell’s dog days are over (Yui Mok/PA)

Amanda Holden

Then:

Amanda’s first television appearance was on a very different kind of Saturday night show. Back in the nineties, Cilla reigned supreme with the (regrettably) now defunct dating show Blind Date. A young Amanda strutted onto the show back in 1991, where she let slip that her dream man is Jack Nicholson.

Now:

After acting appearances on Wild At Heart, Smack The Pony and Cutting It, Amanda has taken Cilla’s crown as queen of Saturday night TV. Sadly, things never worked out with Jack.

Amanda Holden’s been queen bee on the show since it started in 2007 (Syco/Thames TV)

David Walliams

Then:

Before BGT, David’s career involved lots of cross-dressing, chundering and breast-feeding on sketch show Little Britain, alongside close pal and fellow National Youth Theatre alumnus Matt Lucas.

Now:

Since 2012, David has revelled in his role as Simon’s tormentor on BGT, even awarding himself the title of head judge. His theatrical background shines through – check out his lap dance of Simon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sYPgLhcNpY

Alesha Dixon

Then:

Her career began as a rapper in so so so scandalous girl band, Miss-Teeq. After things fizzled out in 2005, Alesha embarked on a solo career and made a name for herself as a dancer, winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 and then replacing Arlene Phillips on the judging panel.

Now:

Alesha jumped ship from Strictly to BGT in 2012. She is set to release her new single, The Way We Are, in June – her first release in over four years.

Alesha Dixon’s come a long way from her days as an MC (Syco/Thames TV)

Simon Cowell gets the shock of his life when one of Britain's Got Talent's auditionees plunges from a balcony and lays prostrate on the floor.

But Simon, who earlier in the week conned Amanda Holden into thinking she was being dumped from the show for Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, is just getting a taste of his own medicine…

As the ITV talent search returns tonight, Simon and his co-judges Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams are watching a terrifying routhine in which a fearless free-runner makes his way around the auditorium, but then it all seems to go wrong when 20-year-old Matt McCreary, from Belfast, pretends to be injured.

Matt McCreary jumped off the balcony (Syco/Thames TV)

Viewers tuning in to tonight’s show will see Simon ask  Matt : “Oh my God, Matt are you really OK?” as he lies on the theatre floor after diving from a balcony.

Matt, who also leaps over show hosts Ant and Dec on stage, also impressed Amanda Holden, who tells him: “We have never seen anything as brave and dangerous before.”

The BGT judges were shocked (Syco/Thames TV)

But not everyone on the panel is won over, with David Walliams joking: “Jumping over two people who are that short isn’t really such a big deal.”

Matt jumped over BGT hosts Ant and Dec (Syco/Thames TV)

The “Do Not Try This At Home” warning also flashes up for another act – brother and sister roller-skaters Billy and Emily England.

The pair, from Birmingham, stun the audience with their routine and impress Alesha Dixon who calls them “fearless”.

Simon loved Marc Metral and his singing dog (Syco/Thames TV)

Other acts in the new series of the ITV talent show include Magdalena Stilova, a 56-year-old contortionist from Bulgaria, and Parisian Marc Metral whose singing dog, Wendy, so impresses Simon he phones his girlfriend Lauren Silverman to tell her about it.

Britain's Got Talent begins tonight on ITV at 8.00pm.

Britain’s Got Talent supremo Simon Cowell has revealed how he conned co-star Amanda Holden into thinking she was being dumped from the show for Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.

Simon played a prank on Amanda (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The former Girls Aloud star, who has done two stints on The X Factor, had an ill-fated few weeks on the US X Factor before Simon kicked her off the panel.

Simon, who recorded a prank phone call to Holden for Radio 1's Breakfast Show, told reporters: “You’ll have to listen to Nick Grimshaw’s show to understand what this is all about.

“I did wind Amanda up on the show. I told her she was being replaced for three days a week by Cheryl on the live shows because she was younger and knew more about music.”

Amanda said that she felt bitter towards Cheryl, who knew nothing about it (Doug Peters/EMPICS)

Amanda, who sits on the BGT judging panel with Simon, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams, said: “I have to say I feel really bitter towards Cheryl and she doesn’t know anything about it.”

Simon was asked to pinpoint Britain's Got Talent’s enduring appeal – it has been on screen for almost a decade – and joked: “I would have to say me”.

He added that he had turned down an approach in the US to do an animal-only talent show.

Amanda Holden has said that she plans to quit her role as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent when she hits her ten year anniversary of being on the show.

The actress and presenter revealed her plans this week while filming auditions for the ninth series of the ITV talent search in London.  

“I would love to make it 10 and then call it a day,” she said. “Ten years is an amazing feat. I want a nice big clock when I leave and some holiday in the sunshine. And a retirement package!”

The series began in 2007 with Amanda, Simon and Piers Morgan. But in 2011, when the chat show host left after four series and Simon was busy promoting The X Factor USA,  Amanda was joined on the judging panel by Baywatch star David Hasselhoff and comedian Michael McIntyre. Later that year it was announced that Hasselhoff and McIntyre would not be returning. In 2012, Simon resumed his role on the panel as current co-judges Alesha Dixon and David Walliams, joined the show. 

The mum of two, who is currently presenting This Morning, also revealed that she is to front a new TV show but refused to reveal any details about the project and only had this to say:  “It’s going to be a great thing.”

Amanda Holden has said she feels uncomfortable being labelled a MILF, but is very happy with her new look.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge is currently standing in for Holly Willoughby’s maternity leave as the host of This Morning, and has spoken about her changing look over the last year.

She told the Daily Mirror: “I’ve had a lot of positive comments over the past year. I now have a new stylist, and new hair and make-up people. Every now and then it’s good to have a cabinet reshuffle and, similarly, I’ve had a bit of a wardrobe reshuffle.

(John Phillips/PA)

“I hate saying that, though, because my old team were great and are still my friends. But for whatever reason, I’m getting a lot more comments about my appearance. It is really flattering.”

Amanda revealed: “Embarrassingly, I’ve had lots of MILF comments… God, I feel really uncomfortable saying that! But I let myself down every time it happens.

“One of The X Factor’s Stereo Kicks said something flirty the other day, and I replied by telling him: ‘I could literally be your mother’, in a really sort of nervous/embarrassed/awkward way. I seem to want to slam all that kind of stuff down.”

(Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

The 43-year-old added that she had stopped getting Botox since her difficult birth with daughter Hollie, as Kylie Minogue also did after her breast cancer diagnosis.

She said: “Along the lines of Kylie when she had cancer, I gave it up after Hollie. For the last three years I haven’t bothered, and have instead been having Collagen Wave facials by a wonderful lady called Nilam Patel. It’s done amazing things to my face.”

Amanda also said of her bushier eyebrows: “Making them longer and thicker takes years off a person. As a youngster, I think I even took a razor to mine at one point – so I’ve been quite lucky they’ve been able to grow out in the first place.”

Amanda Holden may be doing away with tradition this Christmas.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 43, had animals on her mind as she presented an awards ceremony in London.

Speaking at the Animal Hero Awards, she told the Daily Mirror: "I was thinking I'd sponsor animals for Christmas presents this year for the girls."

The mother-of-two added: "They have lots of things, but they don't have a polar bear, or a giraffe."

Amanda presented the awards at London's Grosvenor House and joked that she felt like Lady Mary from Downton Abbey in her floor-length, pink dress.

"This awards ceremony is special because it's the only one that recognises that animals have such a massive part in our everyday life," she told the newspaper.

The awards recognise the most inspiring examples of bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world.

Amanda, who is currently hosting This Morning, added: "These are animals who have done massive deeds and in some cases saved people's lives.

"It's when you hear about cruelty, where some of the animals have started their lives, that always pulls at my heart."

Thrilled Christine Bleakley is to make a prime-time travel show for ITV followed by a stint on This Morning.

The presenter, whose previous ITV morning show Daybreak with Adrian Chiles was a ratings flop, will film the six-part holiday special in autumn.

Then she will stand in during the second half of Holly Willoughby’s maternity leave from This Morning early next year, reports the Mirror.

Christine, 35, is seizing a golden chance to revive her career after the embarrassing Daybreak debacle.

But her new role will come at a cost as she and fiancé Frank Lampard will be 3,000 miles apart.

The England and Chelsea player, 36, is expected to sign for New York City football team.

A source close to Christine said: “It has been a tough journey for her. But she is determined to make this work and get her career back on track.”

Amanda Holden, 43, was unveiled as the first stand-in host for Holly.

Amanda will cover for Holly, 33, from September.

But Christine is expected to move on to the sofa in January, when Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda resumes auditions.

The source said: “Christine, Frank and those who work with her are delighted there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“She has got a golden opportunity to resurrect her career.

“It’s been a hard slog to get to where she is so she won’t sacrifice that by moving to the States.

"Instead she will go out for weekends. Her view is that it’s only six hours on an aeroplane.”

Frank and Christine, who have been dating for four years, are expected to get married this autumn.

This Morning’s Phillip Schofield, 52, who presented three series of ITV’s Dancing On Ice with Christine, has been pushing for her to join him on the sofa.

This Morning, ITV, Mon-Fri, 10.30am.

Ahead of the grand final on Saturday, June 7, judge Amanda Holden gives TV Times magazine her top 10 ever moments from Britain's Got Talent...

Paul Potts - Opera singer. Winner of series one (2007)

"It was just such a wonderful story to find a bloke who’d never been noticed and then he opens his mouth and that voice came out. I was overcome with emotion; I was in tears. Britain’s Got Talent has changed his life and I was so happy for him."

George Sampson - Street dancer. Winner of series two (2008)

"I’m so glad George returned for series two [having failed to make the live semis in series one]. He’s a really talented young man. He blew us all away, and did himself proud. He was so committed to dancing at such a young age [he was 14 when he won], which was great to see. I’ll never forget that show-stopping point when the water poured down on him as he danced to Singing In The Rain – it was a really special moment. I was quite tearful when he won because I was so proud for him."

Stavros Flatley - Comedy dance act. Finished fourth in series three (2009)

"I loved this act, it was absolutely hilarious and it was so great they were father and son. They totally took me by surprise, it was so original and funny, I laughed so much I nearly burst, and the outfits were just genius. They’re two of the nicest men and I actually hired them to perform at my 40th birthday party. When people think of BGT, they do think of these two. They’ll definitely be remembered for a long time coming."

Diversity - Street dance act. Winners of series three (2009)

"We have lots of dance groups, but Diversity brought something so different, new and fresh. It gave us a glimpse into the future of dance and, I will be honest, I don’t think I’ve seen a dance act to top them since. What made them so good was it was so organic and they’re all so passionate about what they do. They are still going five years on, which shows how great they are."

Spelbound - Gymnastic troupe. Winners of series four (2010)

"I was honestly on the edge of my seat watching Spelbound. They took serious risks, it was nerve racking and stunning at the same time. I loved it. They’re what BGT’s all about, finding a group of ordinary kids with an amazing talent. I was over the moon to see them performing at the closing ceremony for the Olympics, what an amazing achievement."

Ronan Parke - Singer. Runner-up in series five (2011)

"Aw, Ronan Parke - he was adorable. Michael McIntyre [who co-judged series five with Amanda and David Hasselhoff] and I thought he’d win – we loved his version of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good. He was so young, but he had this amazing voice that just wowed us from the word go. He was a gorgeous little thing too. I remember he got quite emotional in the final and, of course, that set me off, he really wanted it."

Ashley and Pudsey - Dog trick act. Winners of series six (2012)

"Simon had been waiting for an amazing dog act since the show started, but it just never happened. Then Ashley and Pudsey came along - we had never seen a dog on stage who was so well behaved and talented. Pudsey’s moves were fantastic; it was hard to believe a dog was doing this. And I loved watching the relationship between the two, Pudsey was just so loyal. I was smiling through the whole thing."

Attraction - Shadow theatre group. Winners of series seven (2013)

"It was such an emotional first performance, I couldn’t speak! Alesha and I were quite taken by it. I found it so moving, and for that moment, they took us to a different place. Yes they were from Hungary, but they were incredible, they silenced the room. I loved how they told a story – you really believed every bit. I’m so glad that they came to audition - it was truly unforgettable."

Paddy and Nico - Salsa-dancing act. Competitors in series eight (2014)

"Wow! Well my golden buzzer says it all...Their performance surprised us all and that’s what’s so great about it. Paddy’s such a lovely woman and Nico’s a great teacher. She’s in great shape and is incredibly committed. It made everyone think of their own grandmothers and, yes, it was risqué, but it was also absolutely brilliant. I reckon they’ll be in the top three, it’s something that appeals to everyone!"

Click to see photos of Amanda Holden's BGT all-time top 10

As Britain's Got Talent nears its climax, with one of 10 finalists set to scoop £250,000 and an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance, judge Amanda Holden tells us her favourite acts from its eight series so far

Diversity Britain's Got Talent

After lots of tears, cheers and laughter - and that’s just from David Walliams - the Britain’s Got Talent judges gathered and decided on the acts that will perform in the live semi finals.

And the live shows promise to be an all-singing, all-dancing affair - with lots of comedy, puppetry and magic in the mix.

The 40 acts chosen to perform for the public vote are:

Darcy Oake, magician - "Without question the best magician we've ever had on the show," Simon Cowell told him.

Jon Clegg, impressionist - He won the audience over with his impression of Simon but "I loved your Marge Simpson, she was my favourite," Simon told him.

Jenson Zhu, comedian - "I think you have a future in comedy," David Walliams told him.

Ricky K, comedian - "You're a born entertainer," David said after his audition.

DJ Allan Turner-Ward - He's exactly what his name says he is, a DJ - a "cheesy" one that the judges loved, except Simon.

LA Voix and the London Gay Big Band - A powerhouse drag act that even Simon, who hates drag acts, couldn't resist.

Patsy May, puppet - Cheeky comedienne who warned Ant and Dec not to fall in love with her but they did a little bit - and the audience did a lot.

Sam Jones, ventriloquist - The judges liked his style.

Peatloaf and Elaine, singers - This Meatloaf tribute act surprised the judges and won through.

Eva Iglesias, singer - She gave a powerhouse performance that had judges and audience on their feet.

Andrew Derbyshire, singer - He auditioned for Pop Idol 14 years ago and got nowhere. Now he's in the semi finals.

Jodi Bird, singer - Don't Rain On My Parade sang Jodi at her audition. Simon tried to but she made it through.

Bailey McConnell, singer - He sang one of his own songs and Alesha Dixon told him: "If I had my own record label I'd sign you."

Henrietta Adewole, singer - Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden loved her "jazzy" tones.

Ellis James Chick, singer - 14-year-old singer who Simon warned needed to "be cooler than that" after his hammy performance.

Lucy Kay, opera singer - "You are a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice," David Walliams told her.

Micky Dumoulin, singer - He reminded Simon Cowell of Olly Murs - and Simon liked that.

Ed Drewett, singer - He revealed he co-wrote Best Song Ever for One Direction and now wants to have his time in the spotlight.

James Smith, singer - "One of my favourite auditions so far," Simon told him in round two.

Kitty and Rosie, singer - mother-and-daughter singing act that got through despite Simon thinking they might be better apart.

Kieran and Sarah, singer - boyfriend and girlfriend singers Simon wanted to buzz off but David stopped him by literally wrestling Simon's hands away from his red buzzer.

Collabro, singers - A boy band that prompted Simon to say: "You know what? Britain really has got talent."

Jack Pack, singers - "We've got boy bands but nothing like this," said Amanda of this swing group.

SweetChix, singers - Simon Cowell told this girl group from Essex that he "liked their attitude".

Kony, dancers - A troupe of dancing puppets that Amanda Holden thought was "absolutely ingenious".

Yanis, Arnaud and Mehdi, dancers - French male dance trio that can really move in high heels. "On paper this sounded fairly hideous," said Simon, "but it worked. It was fantastic."

Light Balance, dancers - An amazing act, performed in darkness, in suits that are lit up for an electric dance show.

Mini Moves, dancers - A group of bouncy, bendy young girls with very bouncy hair.

Innova, dancers - Irish dancers with more than a hop and a skip to their routine.

Lauren and Terrell, dancers - Teenage dancers who busted some big moves.

Kings and Queens, dancers - This Latin dance group got David Walliams all hot under the collar.

CountryVive, dancers - A line dance act that had the judges lining up to put them through to the semis.

Cartel, dancers - "I thought you were brilliant," Amanda told them.

Crazy Rouge, dancers - Simon loved this burlesque act, but not as much as David.

Kieran Lai, dancer - A body-popping dancer whose routine was inspired by the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz.

The Addict Initiative, dancers - Simon loved "the intensity" of this group. "You are refreshingly evil," he told them.

Pyroterra, dancers - A dance group that dances with fire - literally.

Bold Dog FMX, motorbike display team - Brilliant - but will their act work inside a theatre?

Brian Chan, artist - live art that David said he'd have in his home.

Lettice Rowbotham, violinist - "You made that violin sexy," Amanda told her. And Simon happily agreed.

These 40 acts join the judges’ golden buzzer acts from the audition rounds, Amanda’s dancers Paddy and Nico, David's would-be singer Cristian Spiridon, Alesha’s girl group REAformed, Simon's teenage rappers Bars and Melody and Ant and Dec’s choice, comedian Toju Okorodudu.

They're all competing for a place in the live final, where they could win £250,000 and a spot in this years's Royal Variety Performance.

The live semi finals begin on ITV on Monday, May 26.

The live Britain's Got Talent final is on Saturday, June 7.

Click here for a picture special on the semi-finalists

It was round six of Britain’s Got Talent auditions and there was no golden buzzer moment… But a little star was born.

Jodi Bird, just 16, stepped out on the stage to sing Don’t Rain On My Parade.

But that’s exactly what judge Simon Cowell did. Very quickly he stopped Jodi’s singing.

“No!” shouted Amanda Holden.

But Simon was determined. “I can’t listen to that,” he said. “It’s too smiley.

“Can I hear a better song,” Simon asked Jodi.

The teenager looked unsure.

But the other judges were absolutely sure about what they wanted to happen.

“It’s a shame Simon cut that short,” said David Walliams.

“Yes. I love that song and I was really enjoying that,” Alesha Dixon said.

And Amanda’s mind was made up.

“Can’t we finish?” she asked Simon. “I want to hear her finish.”

So Simon shut up and Jodi started again… And this time she finished - and she brought the house down.

The audience and the judges were on their feet… except Simon. But David grabbed his arms and forced him to clap along with the crowd.

And then it was time for the judges to vote.

David was first to speak. “I really loved it,” he told Jodi. “It’s great to have different musical styles on this show. You came out with a lot of determination and really won us over. That’s what we’re looking for. Someone with passion and someone who wants to win and I really got that from you.”

Alesha was next. “I really like you, Jodi,” she told the sweet 16 year old. “That song is full of personality so really well done.”

Amanda was bursting with praise. “I bloody loved it, Jodi,” Amanda grinned. “What I really admire is how you dealt so brilliantly with the critique and everything. You came back so much stronger. You p****d all over Simon’s parade. You need to have a strong backbone in musical theatre and I think you’re made of titanium. I think you did brilliantly well.”

Then everyone turned to Simon.

He’d let Jodi finish her son but did he think she was any good?

“OK. I may have acted a little bit prematurely there,” he told Jodi. “I have to say I’m not crazy about those songs. But I did cut you off too short and I apologise.”

Then Simon got a glint in his eye…

“Actually, no, I’m glad I cut you off,” he told Jodi, “because you came back and proved a point. You came back with more excitement and more determination.

“I kind of did it on purpose now I’m thinking about it,” Simon finished, smiling smugly.

"You always knew this was going to happen, didn’t you, Simon?” David laughed.

“I did,” Simon agreed. “Sometimes you’ve got to push people a little bit.

“So I’m taking credit for that performance,” Simon told Jodi. “Congratulations.”

“Nobody’s gonna rain on my parade,” Jodi sang.

And, in the end, no one did.

Click here for the other acts that auditioned in round six.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV1 on Sunday, May 25

Songwriter Ed Drewett, who wrote the Best Song Ever for One Direction, has auditioned for Britain's Got Talent in a bid to become a star in his own right.

Ed, who wrote the number two hit for the boy band as well as The Wanted's chart topper All Time Low, performed another one of his songs, Blink, for the judges.

"Ever since I was a kid my dream was always to be a singer,” says Ed, 25, from Essex. “When I was about nine I wrote a song called Frisbee. I sang it to all my friends in the park and from then on I kind of got the bug.

“It’s honestly an incredible experience to hear something you have written yourself on the radio. But as incredible as that is my dream was always to be the singer myself.”

Ed missed the chance to impress show boss Simon Cowell, who was not at the audition, but left an impression on Amanda Holden who told him the song was “beautiful”.

“I’m totally gutted that Mr Simon Cowell isn’t here because I think he would love you,” Amanda told Ed.

One Direction rose to superstardom out of Simon's other talent contest, the X Factor, in 2010. Will Britain's Got Talent launch Ed to the same success?

Click here to find out how Ed's audition went.

– Press Association

Britain’s Got Talent’s Alexis Economou, is begging the public not to end her bid for stardom as she admits smuggling cannabis in her bra to her jailbird boyfriend.

Alexis, 21, the oldest member of REAformed, revealed her shame at being busted with cannabis in the Mirror newspaper.

Her story will shock the millions who watched her get through to the live semi-finals singing Kiki Dee’s I Got The Music In Me, alongside bandmates Ebony Cantwell, 15, and Renetta Eagle, 18.

The tearful wannabe said: “What I did was a really, really stupid thing. What happened to me was something I did when I was in a rubbish place, but I’m not that person I was back then.”

Last night she and her friends were put through by judge Alesha Dixon, who used the golden buzzer and compared them to her former band Mis-Teeq.

Alexis, from Pimlico, South London, fell for Kayode Oshin, 21, in the summer of 2012 after being introduced by pals. He seemed to be the perfect gent, showering her with gifts and meals out.

But unknown to her he was caught up in a violent gangland drugs war that had even seen him spray rivals with a Mac-10 machine gun.

Her world came crashing down a year later when he was jailed for three-and-a-half years for drugs offences.

But lovestruck Alexis vowed to stand by him, paying him regular visits behind bars. And when he begged her to sneak in some cannabis she foolishly agreed.

“I know it sounds bad but being arrested for drugs isn’t that unusual where I’m from. I had no idea about other things he’d done. I was in love and I just wanted to help him,” she said.

“On my sixth visit I brought drugs with me to prison. I knew it was wrong. As I walked up to the prison, my heart was racing, I had a million different things going through my head.

“From the moment I woke up that morning, it was like everything was in slow motion. I was in a bubble.

“I’d got the cannabis from someone in the street. It’s not hard in the area I grew up.

“I was absolutely terrified when I walked into the prison.

“They did a body search but I’d hidden it in my bra so they didn’t find it,” she recalled. The drugs had a street value of around £10. “I handed it over to him when I thought nobody was looking and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I was just relieved it wasn’t on my person any more.”

But guards had noticed and stopped Alexis as she tried to leave.

They searched Oshin and found the drugs. She immediately confessed to what she had done. “A guard came over to me and asked me to wait in a small room. And I immediately knew... I was crying my heart out.”

Alexis was taken to a nearby police station and formally charged.

“I was only interviewed for about 15 minutes because I had admitted everything straight away,” she said. “After that my mum picked me up and took me home and I just cried for hours.”

Distraught at letting her family down and terrified at the prospect of ending up behind bars, she promptly called Oshin and dumped him.

Alexis said: “I felt disappointed in myself and scared of going to prison. I spent the next few months constantly stressed and not eating.”

She was later given a three-and-a-half-month suspended sentence and ordered to do 150 hours’ community service working in an Oxfam shop.

Alexis says the incident turned her life around as she realised how close she had come to ruining everything.

When she met Oshin she was skipping college to avoid bullies who were making her life hell. “I was in a really bad place at the time and I wasn’t being myself,” she said. “I even had a police officer to escort me home and keep me safe, it was that bad. Eventually, I just stopped going.

“When I met Kayode, I thought he was a genuine guy. He was a good-looking, charming guy who told me he was studying business at college. He’d pick me up and take me to dinner, he treated me well. I made a mistake because I wanted to please him.”

She added: “If anybody out there is thinking of doing the same thing, just don’t. It’s not worth it. It can affect your career, your whole life.”

Alexis only found out that Oshin had been found guilty of attempted murder when she read it in the newspapers.

His Old Bailey trial heard he shot his victim in the neck with a Mac-10 in Hounslow, west London, in 2011. He had fired at a group of men, but the gun jammed, forcing him to flee. He was jailed for 22 years for attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and GBH with intent.

Emotional Alexis said: “I don’t want people to judge me for what he’s done. I just want to take this experience and turn it into a positive.”

Click here for more on girl group REAformed.

So who is it that has Ant and Dec trying but failing not to laugh out loud backstage as the fourth round of Britain’s Got Talent auditions continued?

He’s an impressionist called Jenson Zhu and he was funny…but it was very hard to tell if he meant to be.

“I’ve never performed in public before,” Jenson, 37, revealed, just before he went on stage. “I assume Dave and Simon will like me. But sometimes English girls can be unpredictable, so I’m not sure about Amanda or Alesha.”

Jenson’s first impression was of Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees, complete with singing.

“I have to confess that when I sing in falsetto I feel like I have lost my testicles,” Jenson said after his performance.

Then he moved on to Elvis - but Amanda Holden had to tell fellow judge Simon Cowell who Jenson was supposed to be.

“Sorry I don’t look like Elvis - it is genetically impossible,” Chinese Jenson explained.

It appeared it wasn’t any easier for him to be the Godfather, either.

Ant and Dec were falling about laughing backstage, but Simon was stony-faced as he sat in on the judges' panel.

“Let me make this easy for you,” Simon told Jenson. “You are the worst impressionist I’ve ever seen, or heard, or had on this show. Dreadful. Awful. You’re a nice guy but it was terrible.”

“Awful but really funny.” Alesha Dixon said.

“I think you’re a really funny guy,” David Walliams told Jenson. “You could have a future in comedy.”

Not if Simon has anything to do with it…

Osiris Young, 33, failed to impress any of the judges - even Alesha who, he claimed, had given him good advice when they met in Corfu 12 years ago.

“You told me to pursue my dreams,” Osiris told Alesha, when he got on stage. Possibly she hadn’t heard him sing when she did that.

Osiris sang - and danced to - Coldplay’s Sparks but didn’t spark any interest in the judges. He got four buzzes and walked off before any of them could say anything to him.

“I’m glad he walked off,” said Alesha, “because I wouldn’t know what to say to him.”

Also failing to make the right impression on the judges was Alexander, 29, who shouted a song no one recognised, and After Party, an a cappella group described by Amanda as “shambolic”. Singer Joey James, duetting with a face drawn on a piece of paper, was also moved offstage pretty quickly.

But those few acts were the weeds among some truly blooming great acts.

Ant and Dec were taken with puppet Patsy May, who cracked a few good jokes then sang the Mama Cass hit Dream a Little Dream.

Simon liked the puppet a lot. “I see you in Amanda’s chair next year,” he told Patsy.

“Are you married?” Simon asked her.

Feigning alarm, David Walliams shouted: “Don’t make her pregnant!” Then, turning to Patsy, David added: “Seriously, he would find a way.”

David was soon distracted from that concern, though, when Crazy Rouge stepped on stage. A burlesque dance group, they revealed more than their dancing skills and brought a smile to Simon’s face.

“There’s something for everyone,” sighed David, who had to give himself a few slaps across the face.

“You’re all gorgeous,” said Amanda. “I could watch you all day.”

The judges - and Ant and Dec - couldn’t take their eyes off magician Christian Farla, either. But they still couldn’t work out how Christian magicked up not one but four glamorous assistants.

“It was really good,” said David. “Just as you think you’ve met one of your girlfriends, you meet the other three.”

The next act on stage didn’t really settle the judges, either. REAformed is a girl group who sang Kiki Dee’s I’ve Got the Music In Me and had Alesha dancing in her seat.

“The judge we want to impress is Alesha,” the girls said before they performed. And they did.

They got a “yes” from each of the other judges - and a golden buzzer hit from Alesha. So REAformed go straight through to the live semi-finals.

All that excitement made REAformed a hard act to follow but Kieran Lai, 17, did just fine.

Body-popping dancer Kieran’s routine was inspired by the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz - and the judges put him on the yellow brick road to the next round.

“Brilliant concept,” David told the teenager. “Those moves were out of this world.”

“You are without question one of the best dancers we’ve had on this show,” Simon added.

Ten-year-old pianist Curtis Elton made a good impression on the judges, too, with his medley of classical music.

But the act that followed Curtis was much more up Simon and David’s street.

Pole dancers Terri and Lisette had Simon tongue-tied but he managed to vote them through to the next round.

Voting through boy band Jack Pack was easy for David, Alesha and Amanda, too… Simon had no say in it as he was away having his baby for this part of the auditions.

Adam, 28, a barman, Alfie, 24, a painter and decorator, Andrew, 32, a father of two who “fixes ovens” and Sean, also 32, a gardener, said they have only been singing together for about six months.

Not long - but long enough for the judges. After they’d finished singing That’s Life, David, Alesha and Amanda were beaming. They liked their swing style.

“I just love you guys,” said Alesha.

“We’ve got boy bands but nothing like this,” Amanda told them.

“Fantastic,” added David. “I think if Simon were here he’d be very excited about you.”

Simon was back for the final act - and he was excited about it.

Eva Iglesias (no relation to Julio or Enrique) is a 40-year-old supermarket assistant from Southampton who has already been rejected by the X Factor and The Voice. Had her ship already sailed?

“Just because I’m 40 doesn’t mean I haven’t got it,” said Eva. “You’ve got to believe in yourself. If I don’t do this now I never will,” she told the judges.

“Are you married?” Simon asked.

“No,” Eva replied.

“Why?” asked Simon… And in charged David.

“Why have you never got married?” he said to Simon. “You’re 53!”

“Because no one will have me,” answered Simon.

“I discovered late in life that I can sing and want to do something with it,” said Eva, bringing the conversation back around to her.

And she certainly did something with Carole King’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.

“We hardly ever have anyone who comes on and sings with that passion and emotion,” David told Eva. “You were really singing from the heart.”

“I nearly didn’t come today. My heart was broken by the person I love,” Eva told the judges, tearfully.

“Carole King’s heart was broken when she wrote that,” Simon said. “I understand why you giving it what you gave it. So you can believe this: ‘f*** them, you were great.”

And how the audience roared. They loved Simon for that - and then he went home.

Click here to find out exactly why Alesha hit the golden buzzer for REAformed.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV on Saturday, May 10

It was golden buzzer time again in round four of Britain’s Got Talent’s auditions… And this time it was Alesha Dixon who felt sure she’d found the winning act.

Alesha thinks girl group REAformed have what it takes to go all the way and the three girls were showered with golden confetti as they celebrated getting a free pass straight through to the live semi-finals.

It didn't start well for the girls, though…

"Alesha is our favourite judge," they said when they arrived on stage.

And David Walliams hit his red buzzer straight away.

Then 21-year-old Alexis said she had met Alesha a few years ago and Alesha had encouraged her to get an education before she tried to make her way as a singer.

"What a shocker," laughed Simon Cowell.

Renetta, 18, Ebony, 15, and Alexis then revealed they have only been performing together for three months.

So the judges didn’t expect much from them - but they were blown away by the group’s performance of I Got the Music In Me, by Kiki Dee.

The girls had the audience dancing - and Alesha.

“I honestly think you’re the best girl group we’ve seen on the show so far," Alesha told them. "I like the way you’ve styled yourselves and I definitely, definitely think you deserve a chance.”

Amanda Holden loved the girls, too. “I think we’ve found something special in you,” she told them.

Simon liked them, but not quite as completely.

“I think you are the natural lead singer in this group,” Simon told Ebony. “You look great and have great chemistry,” he told the whole group. “Vocals need a lot work, though.”

Then it came to the voting.

“I’m going to say ‘yes’,” said Simon.

“I’m going to say ‘yes’,” said Amanda.

“I’m going to say ‘yes’,” said David.

“And I’m going to say…this!” said Alesha. And she slammed the golden buzzer.

“I was not expecting that,” Simon laughed.

Of course, Alesha knows a bit about girl groups, coming from Mis-Teeq, also a trio of girls that formed in 1999 and lasted six years until they split to pursue solo careers.

She rushed up to the stage to congratulate the girls and promised them: “I will support you all the way”.

Back at the judges’ table, Alesha said: “I started out in a girls’ group and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Mis-Teeq and that’s what I saw in those girls.”

“OK, girls, that was amazing what happened. Now you’ve got to live up to Alesha’s potential, right," said Simon. "Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Good luck.”

REAformed join Amanda’s great-granny dancer, Paddy, 79, and David’s tone deaf singer Christian Spridon, as golden buzzer semi-finalists. But can they make it through to the final?

Britain's Got Talent auditions continue on ITV on Saturday, May 10

Our exclusive pictures reveal the best and the worst of the latest auditions

Round three of Britain’s Got Talent’s auditions saw the judges fly into Northern Ireland - and Ant and Dec follow them on a zip wire!

They’re certainly not that adventurous on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

Ant and Dec quickly found a pub for a pint of the black stuff - and, not long after the auditions started, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon looked like they needed a few drinks, too.

The fourth act of the night, sales assistant John Power, was a disturbing man who just ranted and raged on stage. Simon, Amanda and Alesha quickly buzzed - and David tried to, but couldn’t.

Uh-oh. David’s buzzer wasn’t working.

After last week’s controversial Golden Buzzer moment, when David put through Cristian Spiridon for taking the “sex” out of Sex Bomb, this might not be an honest malfunction.

Maybe David’s not trusted with buzzer responsibilities any more.

But David wasn’t going to be stopped. He took off one of his shoes and beat it into life.

The audience cheered and so did the judges - but no one was cheering John.

“I think you might need to see someone,” Amanda said to John, sympathetically.

The next act had the judges smiling again, though - Innova, a traditional Irish dance group with a twist (and a few jumps and some very lively footwork).

“Oh. My. God. I absolutely loved that,” said Simon. “This is why I wanted to come to Belfast.”

Kings and Queens were another dance group that wowed the judges.

“Wow wow wow wow wow,” said Alesha, after their performance.

“We’ve had some great dance groups on this show over years,” added Simon. “I think you were incredible.”

Simon wasn’t so keen on Cartel, though, not with 27-year-old Jamie in the otherwise teenage line-up. “You stuck out like a sore thumb,” Simon told Jamie. “You shouldn’t be in the group. But I like the other four.”

The other judges didn’t like Simon’s attitude, though - and David was quick to let him know.

“By your logic, Simon, on this panel there’s three young, attractive people and you.”

The judges were united in their feelings about 24-year-old supermarket assistant Micky Dumoulin, though, who told them he sings for regular customers who ask him to.

Micky sang Bring Him Home from Les Miserables, an emotional song that got an emotional response and a standing ovation.

“You did a beautiful job,” Amanda told Micky.

“I remember Olly Murs had that charisma when I first met him,” Simon said. “I think the regulars in your supermarket are going to be very happy.”

Andrew Derbyshire was another singer the judges loved. Andrew had auditioned for Pop Idol 14 years ago but Simon remembered him.

“Since you sang for me 14 years ago, I imagine you’ve sung in some really bad places and been desperate for the audience to like you,” Simon told him after his performance. “Actually, I think you’ve got a really good voice. But I think you’re trying to please too much. We’ve never had a male diva like you on the show before.”

“Well, I think we have,” David chimed in.

“OK,” Simon laughed. “We’ve never had a singing male diva before.”

And Simon was still laughing when the following act performed - but he’s the only judge who was.

Shakespeare Remix was three actresses from London who performed a piece from Hamlet.

“Not the best performance of Hamlet I’ve seen,” said David, in the understatement of the night.

“I hate Shakespeare but in a weird way I liked it,” said Simon - and gave them a "yes". He didn’t go for the Golden Buzzer, though.

There was no Golden Buzzer moment in this round - but Simon might have been tempted if he’d been at 14-year-old Bailey McConnell’s audition.

Simon had taken off for New York as his partner was about to give birth to his son.

That left David, Alesha and Amanda to enjoy Bailey singing one of his own songs.

“One of my friends turned on me and that’s what the song’s about,” he told them.

You could have heard a pin drop as Bailey sang but, when he finished, the audience were on their feet cheering.

“I wish I was Simon because if I had a record label I’d sign you,” Alesha told Bailey.

“What’s not to like about you?” said David. “You play beautifully and write incredible songs.”

“Simon’s going to be sorry he missed him,” added Amanda.

Never mind, Simon can catch Bailey in the live semi-finals in May.

Click here for our exclusive pictures of the auditions.

Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV, Saturday, May 3

Britain’s Got Talent made a triumphant return to our screens with a record 11.1 million viewers tuning in to the series opener.

And judge Alesha Dixon is delighted by the show’s popularity.

“It feels brilliant to be back on the panel for another year. It’s the biggest, craziest, boldest show on TV and it’s addictive,” Alesha told the Daily Express.

“From the first time I did the show, I just felt like I was part of something special.”

The four judges - Alesha, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and David Walliams - share a genuine friendship on and off screen, says Alesha.

“Simon is actually a very funny man. You don’t often see that side of him on screen as he comes across all serious and important. But this year especially he’s been more mischievous and has been giving David a run for his money with the jokes,” she says. “David is a born entertainer. He’s brilliant on the panel and often keeps the crowd going and gets them involved. His teasing of Simon is hilarious, but Amanda is my best friend on the panel. She’s really witty and sharp and we get on so well together.

“I always love coming to work on the show because we just laugh all day long. It is genuinely fun to be with the other judges and I’m very lucky to have a job like this.”

But while the mix of judges on the panel have proved a hit, Alesha says it’s the amazing - and sometimes awful - acts that appear that really make the show a ratings winner.

“I think the show is a success when the right people walk through the doors,” she says. “It’s a people show. It needs eccentrics, it needs brilliantly bad acts and it needs funny people. The British public are the ones who make it a success; we have no show without them. In order for it to be better than last year, we just need to make sure we’ve got brilliant talent again.”

But that hasn’t stopped Alesha getting tough with contestants.

“When watching the show back last year I saw some acts I said yes to and wondered, ‘Why the hell did I do that?’,” she says.

“During the auditions you get caught up in the moment, whether it’s the audience getting behind an act or the other judges really rooting for someone, and that can sometimes sway you. Looking back there were some acts I probably shouldn’t have said yes to.

“This year I’ve made the decision to go with my gut and trust my instinct on whether I like an act and whether I think the country will like it, or whether it would be something the royal family would want to watch at the Royal Variety Performance.

“I’ve tried not to be swayed by the audience or the other judges this time, although David often sticks up for the underdogs and tries to get you to say yes.

“I have been tough this year.”

In October last year, Alesha and her partner Azuka Ononye had their first child, a daughter named Azura Sienna, who made her showbiz debut on the promotional trailers for Britain’s Got Talent.

Alesha is overjoyed at becoming a mother but admits that it can be tough juggling work and family life.

“I’m not going to lie, because it was difficult to leave my daughter for the first audition day as I hadn’t really spent any time apart from her then,” she says. “But once I came back, I was in a work frame of mind. Also, I’m really lucky as I have got a great support system so I know that she is in good hands.

“I do wish I could bring her down to watch some of the auditions, though, but she’s too small at the moment. Maybe when she’s older, and if I’m still lucky enough to be doing this, I will bring her to watch.”

Britain’s Got Talent, ITV

Britain’s Got Talent contestant Lettice Rowbotham has revealed that she played her violin at the secret wedding of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s youngest daughter.

The starlet - described by judge David Walliams as the “poshest” Britain’s Got Talent contestant ever - revealed that she was paid just £200 to perform at 27-year-old Yekaterina Putina’s three-day nuptials to South Korean Yoon Joon-won, 28 in 2012.

Lettice, 24, told the Mirror newspaper how she was escorted in and out of the reception at the luxury hotel La Mamounia, in Marrakesh, “very quickly by security”, along with her now defunct band, High On Heels.

She said: “It was really fun, and such an amazing experience. At the time it was top secret, we couldn’t tell any one what we were doing.

“We were asked to do it, not by Putin himself, and we weren’t paid very much.

“It looked like the most brilliant party, there was no expense spared. I’ve done quite a few functions but this one was quite special.”

The wedding, paid for by Putin , was of Russian tradition, and attended by several international figures.

Despite being one of the most famous leaders in the world, divorced Putin, 61, has always kept Yekaterina and her older sister Maria, 28, out of the limelight.

Lettice is one of the only people to have spoken about the lavish celebration.

The Royal College of Music graduate - who started playing when she was just three years old - is tipped to make the live shows of Britain’s Got Talent, which will be screened in May.

Lettice is close friends with X Factor stars Matt Cardle and Olly Murs, and has turned down a role on the E4 reality TV show, Made In Chelsea, to concentrate on her music.

Click here for more on the acts from round two of the Britain’s Got Talent auditions and David Walliams Golden Buzzer moment that drove Simon mad.

Britain’s Got Talent, round three of the auditions, can be seen on Saturday, April 26.

Britain’s Got Talent topped the TV ratings again with the second round of auditions.

According to UK TV Ratings, the ITV talent competition, which is judged by Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams, drew in 8.3 million viewers at 7.00pm, with a further one million viewers tuning in to ITV1+1.

The episode saw a variety of acts, including Bold Dog FMX, teenage singer James Smith and magician Darcy Oake, audition for the judges - and showed David Walliams hit the Golden Buzzer for singing waiter Christian Spridon.

The figures are down 1.8million on the launch episode, which was the most watched launch show ever and the biggest overnight rating of the year so far.

Click here for more on David Walliams' Golden Buzzer act - and why it made Simon mad.

Britain's Got Talent is next on ITV on Saturday, April 26

This is the Britain's Got Talent contestant who moved judge David Walliams to hit the Golden Buzzer in the second round of the auditions.

And that made fellow judge Simon Cowell look like he wanted to hit David.

And no wonder.

Cristian Spiridon singing Sex Bomb was not one of the highlights of the night. He couldn’t sing and he couldn’t dance like a sex bomb.

But David Walliams loved Cristian the minute he saw him, waving to him as he came out on to the stage.

“For some reason David’s excited,” Alesha Dixon said.

“I love your boots,” David said.

“When I perform I like to be sexy,” said Cristian, who admitted he’s had his teeth whitened and work done on his face.

“I work as a waiter but I want to become a superstar,” he told the judges.

Cristian’s bid for superstardom didn’t start well, though.

Alesha and Simon buzzed as Cristian wailed the introduction to Sex Bomb.

Cristian sang a few words and Amanda Holden buzzed.

But David was dancing and working the audience, getting them on their feet.

Simon was determined to put a stop to Cristian's performance, though and marched towards David's buzzer.

David was equally determined to prevent Cristian getting four buzzes but Simon found a way to David's red buzzer.

Four buzzes and Cristian should have been out.

“No!” shouted David. And the audience booed.

Then David quickly turned and slammed his hand on the Golden Buzzer.

“No!” shouted Simon.

“Yes!” shouted David.

The audience cheered.

Ant and Dec looked confused.

Golden confetti rained down on Cristian, who also looked a bit confused.

“No!” shouted Alesha.

“Oh, yeah!” David shouted right back in her face. Alesha laughed but Simon looked like he couldn’t quite believe what David had done.

“What the bloody hell did you do that for?” he asked David.

“Because Cristian is going to win Britain’s Got Talent. Yeah!” shouted David.

Simon didn't agree.

“I’m not being rude, Cristian, but the act is appalling,” Simon told the, er, singer.

Amanda felt differently.

“Listen, we have to push the buzzer when we really believe in something. It’s up to each individual judge to have a passion for somebody and if you’re David’s passion then well done to you,” said Amanda.

‘You’re through to the live shows, congratulations,’ said Alesha in disbelief.

Cristian jumped for joy and promised David he would work very hard.

David gave him a hug and Cristian left the stage.

As David returned to his seat Simon glared at him.

“What?” asked David.

“What do you mean, ‘What?’,” said Simon.

“It’s not just about the voice, Simon,” said David. “It’s about personality as well.”

Simon shrugged.

“Congratulations, darling,” Amanda said to David.

“Why are you saying that?” asked Simon incredulously.

It was the last act of the show. Everyone got ready to go home.

“Bye Simon, love you,” shouted David.

“Oh, shut up, I don’t love you,” Simon replied.

It wasn’t all bad, though.

The second round of auditions also featured posh violinist Lettice Rowbotham, who brought a big smile to Simon’s face, 15-year-old singer James Smith, a young knife thrower who took aim at Simon and amazing Canadian magician Darcy Oake.

“I think we’ve uncovered a star with you,” Simon told Darcy.

Click here for the best and worst of the night in pictures.