Britain's Got Talent semi-finalists unveiled as series returns to screens

The lineup includes a rescue dog, a magician and a unicyclist 
Britain's Got Talent returned to screens on Sunday, as the semi-finalists were revealed
PA
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

It's the moment reality TV lovers have all been waiting for – Britain’s Got Talent is back.

The ITV series returned to screens on Sunday evening months after the coronavirus pandemic forced production to be put on ice.

The show was back with a pre-recorded instalment revealing which contestants had made it through to the semi-finals.

The lucky acts include Aidan McCann, a young magician from Ireland, and Amanda and rescue dog Miracle – a magic act from Scotland.

Aidan McCann (left) and rescue dog Miracle are among the lucky acts
PA

Others to make it through to the knock-out stages include the Chineke! Junior Orchestra and Class Dynamix, a choir from Leeds.

Papi Flex, a contortionist from Belgium, and Wesley Williams, a unicyclist from Florida, also got through to the next round, with the Golden Buzzer acts.

Papi Flex (left) and Wesley Williams wowed judges
PA

It was previously announced that Diversity star Ashley Banjo will take Simon Cowell’s place on the judging panel for the semi-finals while the music mogul recovers from back surgery.

Cowell, 60, broke his back in a number of places after falling off a new electric bike he was testing at his house in Malibu.

Banjo will join regular judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams on the panel.

The final will air in October, with the winner taking home £250,000 plus a slot at the Royal Variety Performance.

Some acts will take part via videolink whilst others will perform in the TV studio without a live audience.

Instead, a virtual audience will watch from their homes and their reactions will be broadcast into the studio on a giant screen.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in