BRITAIN’S Got Talent fans were once again not happy about the result of tonight’s semi-final.
The second live semi-final of the week saw Jack Rhodes receive the most votes from the public and win an automatic final place, after a performance involving card tricks, dynamite and the magician breaking out of a TV.
Judge Simon Cowell had tipped the nuclear engineer-turned-magician “to win the entire competition” after a “jaw-dropping” performance during the second semi-final of the ITV talent competition.
It was then up to the judges to make the very difficult choice between Ravi’s Dream and Haribow.
Bruno Tonioli picked Haribow, while Alesha Dixon went for Ravi’s Dream Team, and then Amanda Holden opted for Haribow in a surprise move.
But when it came to Simon Cowell he refused to make a decision, saying: “Tonight, I am going to chose to go to a public vote.”
Many felt Simon did that deliberately so his son’s favourite act could go through, because he knew who the audience would pick.
One person remarked: “Simon makes this show so he knew who the stupid public voted for. Very rigged.”
A second said: “Simon knew the result, didn’t want the singers to go through, took the easy way out.”
“@BGT is a fix. @AmandaHolden leaning over to speak to Alesha and Bruno before final votes cast,”slammed a third.
While another pointed out: “Simon who said Haribow was the best act that’s ever been on the show didn’t pick them #BritainsGotTalent.”
During the episode Simon said they were “one of the best acts we’ve ever had” based on “skill and being unique”.
Haribow and Jack Rhodes join South African opera singer Innocent Masuku and South Korean taekwondo group Ssaulabi Performance Troupe on the bill for the final after they were voted through on Monday.
Earlier in the series Simon’s son Eric, 10, and Amanda Holden’s daughter Hollie, 11, decided to give the Japanese double-dutch group the Golden Buzzer in a shock move.
The talented skippers have a huge fan base online and despite some concerns that Simon “chickened out”, many were delighted with the result.
Others were upset to see Ravi’s Dream Team go home – in particular because the little girl appeared very emotional over the result.
The lads have only been skipping together for four years and they achieved the audience golden buzzer during their first audition, meaning they were automatically sent through to the next round.
Britain's Got Talent's biggest 'fix' rows
Britain's Got Talent has been plagued with 'fix' rows over the years. How many of these do you remember?
Jasmine Elcock – 2016: Teenage singer Jasmine Elcock stunned the nation with her version of Cher’s Believe. But it then transpired she had already performed professionally in London’s West End. Jasmine, 14, admitted: “I’ve performed in Annie in the West End at about the age of nine or 10, but I really get nervous.”
IrShad Shaikh – 2017: BGT fans were left questioning the rule book when IrShad Shaikh auditioned. He got four red buzzers from the judges, which would usually mean an instant dismissal. Yet in a strange turn of events, they let him continue with his act…and put him through to the next round.
Colin Thackery – 2019: Elderly war veteran Colin won BGT in 2019, but there was an outcry over the final. He warbled his place to win with a version of We’ll Meet Again but fans were furious that escapologist Jonathan Goodwin didn’t even rank in the top three. Viewers felt Jonathan – who almost suffocated while being buried alive in a gravel pit – should have won.
Axel Blake – 2022: Comedian Axel Blake was given a Golden Buzzer in 2022 after making the judges laugh. But fans were fuming when they discovered Axel already had a show on worldwide streaming platform Amazon Prime. Despite this, Axel still went on to win the series.
Loren Allred – 2022: The 2022 series of BGT was hit with another controversy when singer Loren Allred also received a Golden Buzzer. She performed Never Enough from the smash hit musical movie The Greatest Showman and got a standing ovation. It later transpired Loren was actually the original voice behind the track.
Taryn Charles – 2024: Singer Taryn Charles is one of this year’s hopefuls lucky enough to receive the Golden Buzzer. Bruno Tonilio put her straight through to the semi-finals following her performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin, but it has now come to light that she is no stranger to TV. Viewers recognised Taryn from an episode of ITV1’s Starstruck, where she impersonated Whitney Houston for judges Olly Murs, Sheridan Smith, Adam Lambert and Beverley Knight.
Simon gushed again tonight: “Going back to that audition, it was honestly one of the biggest reactions we’ve ever ever had on an audition.”
Ravi’s Dream Team were Alesha Dixon’s golden buzzer choice during the auditions.
The choir, who advocate for brain tumour charities after Ravi Adelekan was diagnosed with a benign tumour in his brain stem at the age of six.
Ravi said after their Britain’s Got Talent audition aired on TV that celebrities had been in contact with him including Jack Grealish, Jermaine Jenas, Monica Galetti, Paloma Faith “and Coldplay’s drummer”.
The cast of Disney’s Frozen The Musical opened the live show singing hit songs from the musical, before co-hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly came on stage holding character Olaf’s hand.
Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals will air each day until Friday at 8pm, with Sunday’s final at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
