Britain's Got Talent has been hit by fakery claims following a stunning audition in the latest episode to air on ITV on Saturday evening.
During the third round of auditions on the popular talent show competition, mother Claire Connolly wowed the audience and the four judges when she took to the stage to tell them that she was giving her chance to her teenage daughter Tia Connolly.
"She thinks it’s me who’s auditioning," Claire explained to the judges. "She’s got me through some very hard times in my life and I feel like I owe her, so I’m giving my audition up for my daughter.
"This is my way of saying she’s fabulous because she deserves it and she’s an incredible person."
Fans were quick to speculate that the producers were trying to mislead viewers, with one writing on Twitter : "Giving her audition to her daughter looks like a fix. Lets hope she is good..."
A second added: "They don't need to lie and set up the giving my audition to my daughter. Transparency is important. It's #BGT people have a problem with. It's actually using Tia and her mum as pawns."
Another said: "This whole thing with the mum giving up her audition to her daughter seems SO fake."
Clearly in disbelief, Tia entered the stage with her mother before Saturday's episode came to a spectacular end when the 15-year-old belted out a brilliant rendition of Whitney Houston's I Didn’t Know My Own Strength in front of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and new judge Bruno Tonioli.
The quartet of judges were left in awe as they praised the teenager. Alesha commented: "Your mum said that you had an amazing voice... and I agree!"
Amanda said Tia "absolutely smashed it" and had a "massive career" ahead of her, while Bruno added that she had an "incredible quality because you were singing from your soul".
Viewers were just as complimentary as they flocked to social media to hail Tia's performance.
One person wrote on Instagram : "Smashed it as always she's a gorgeous girl inside an out an for the few negative people it wasn't staged she knew nothing at all about it keep goin tia."
Another commented: "Golden buzzer in my opinion," while a third fan replied on Twitter: "Wow Tia what a performance she just killed it the voice was beautiful I absolutely loved it."
A fourth added: "WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was amazing. Tia, you are a Superstar. Thank you, Tia’s mum for getting her on stage. That audition was amazing."
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