Simon Cowell has two hopes for the 16th series of Britain’s Got Talent. Firstly, “to make a show which people hopefully will enjoy watching,” he says. “And, secondly, to give whoever it is that opportunity, hopefully, for things to get better in their lives after they’ve auditioned.”
With many a successful series in the bag, and the promise that this year’s variety spectacular will be bigger and better than ever, it seems likely the head judge – and creator of the long-running Got Talent franchise – could get his wish.
“I think things have changed a lot from where we first started, as it always used to be about the end prize,” muses Cowell, 63, who has starred on the show since its 2007 inception. “I would say now that your first audition is so important because of what happens, virally, that even just that single audition can make a massive difference to your life.”
With more golden buzzers than ever before, and surprises along the way, this year’s audition stages are wide open for the many talented acts vying for a place in the live semi-finals. But who will follow in the footsteps of 2022 winner, comedian Axel Blake, and scoop the £250,000 prize and a spot on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance?
New to the judging process is Bruno Tonioli, who will join the all-star panel (in place of David Walliams) alongside returning favourites Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon. No stranger to voicing his opinion, Tonioli is certainly pleased with his appointment.
“Honestly, I’ve had such a good time!,” says the 67-year-old, admitting there were some first-day nerves, exacerbated by him pressing his golden buzzer “at the wrong time”. “It’s completely new for me, I told Simon, ‘I never watched the show before’. But I never watch anything I’m in, I never even watched Strictly or Dancing with the Stars!
“This is like live theatre. It’s a proper variety show like we used to get – and I always loved that,” he follows, his voice going due to “screaming for six hours every day. Let me tell you, some of the talent we’ve seen during auditions… absolutely incredible.”
“It feels more homegrown [the talent, this year],” says Holden, 52, who, like Cowell, has been a part of the show since the beginning. “It feels like stuff people would be doing in their bedrooms and less professionals this year, but the standard is still exceptionally high.”
As for who we can expect, “we’ve had a lot of choirs this year,” she adds. “There’s a men’s choir, which is just brilliant. I enjoyed the fact that they were a group of men who were coming on for a good singsong.”
“For the first time in a long time I have absolutely no idea who might win, it really could be anyone.”
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“A show like this is important right now because you’ve got to create two hours of TV which is going to make people feel good,” said Cowell . “It’s everyone watching this show, from kids to grandparents, and I love that. You should get emotional, you should laugh out loud, and some of the stuff we have this year, and I’m not necessarily talking about the comedians, it’s really funny.”
This many years in, exactly what is Cowell looking for in the auditionees?
“Well, number one, an act you haven’t seen before. Or if it’s a similar kind of act, they’ve got to be better,” he says. “And to have people talk about the act afterwards, that’s hugely important.”
“Every year I want a different type of variety act to win,” offers Dixon, 43, who returns to the fold for the eleventh time. “I don’t ever go into it thinking, ‘Right. I want to see the next best street dance act’. I go into it thinking, ‘I want somebody to use this platform to have a moment to hopefully change their life and to have a career, in whatever shape or form that comes in’.
“And it’s that good old-fashioned sense of entertainment and that idea of having dreams and hope. Britain’s Got Talent is one of the only shows, I think, that does that and does it so well, where somebody’s dream can come true.”
Standing in the wings, ready to cheer on – or console – the acts brave enough to brace the stage, is once again incomparable hosting duo Ant and Dec.
“You never quite know what you’re going to get – and this year doesn’t disappoint,” says Dec, 47.
Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV on Saturday, April 15.
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