Simon Cowell has spoken out on pressing his Golden Buzzer for Axel Blake on Sunday's Britain's Got Talent, as viewers have hit out as his decision due to the comedian already having his own TV show.
The 33-year-old property maintenance manager from London appeared half way through the second episode of the ITV show's new series and bowled over notoriously hard to impress judge Simon with his stand up routine, so much so that he reached for the coveted Golden Buzzer. Axel's gags included everything from his fiancée having a baby during the coronavirus pandemic to get excited about using contactless bank cards.
His jokes had all four Britain's Got Talent judges on their feet and, having hard the audience chant 'press the gold, press the gold,' Simon told Axel: "I know it's a bit of a cliché but, after everything everybody's been through the last few years, we needed this show back on air, we needed acts like you. Simon then joked about what he would like from a house, adding: "I want 25% off and you get this," before hitting the Golden Buzzer.
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Axel stood open mouthed as he clocked what was happening, but, while many viewers at home thought Axel was deserving of a guaranteed place in the semi finals, others said it was 'unfair,' given he already has his own show on Amazon Prime.
One took to Twitter to post: "Axel Blake has clearly been scouted…..loads of clips on YouTube of him from various tv shows." Refencing the controversy surrounding Saturday's Golden Buzzer act Loren Allred, the voice of Never Enough from The Greatest Showma n, another tweeted: "'I refuse to believe that the #BGT Golden Buzzers are real and spontaneous. Yesterday it was to someone who sang an actual song in Greatest Showman and has been in the music charts in the US. Tonight it's a comedian who has a stand up show on Amazon Prime."
Simon has now had his say on Axel and the incredible reaction he had from the audience at the auditions. In a video posted on Britain's Got Talent's Twitter timeline, he says: "Honestly we couldn't even talk with the noise. Press the golden buzzer, press the golden buzzer. And all the time I'm thinking...and they start booing us...and I'm thinking 'I'm going to do it,' just wait.
"Then they went nuts. I just saw him backstage and he's so happy, he's such a nice guy. It's good."
