Britain’s Got Talent bosses reveal new format change ahead of next season
BRITAIN’S Got Talent is heading North for the first time in three years — and with a new judge on its panel.
Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon will hold auditions in Manchester after filming at the London Palladium for the past two series.
They will be joined by a fourth judge — a replacement for David Walliams — whose identity is yet to be announced, when filming begins in February.
It comes after bosses overhauled the application process, now inviting viewers to secretly put forward a friend or family member for the show.
A TV source said: “‘Nominate an act’ has essentially unearthed a whole new pool of talent.
“Viewers had become critical of the amount of ‘recycled’ acts that had appeared on other Got Talents or were already on the pro circuit, but the new process has already sourced some good undiscovered talent.
“Being able to audition in Manchester also effectively unlocks the North — some acts just couldn’t afford the travel for a whole troop or choir, for example. It’s all gearing up for a really great new series, now all the pandemic restrictions have lifted too.”
Dates at The Lowry theatre in Salford, Manchester, will be announced soon, with Ant and Dec returning once more as hosts.
Last year, Britain’s Got Talent introduced Golden Moments, which saw each judge visit an unsuspecting act and invite them to audition for the show.
David announced last month he was quitting the panel after ten years, having been forced to apologise for foul-mouthed comments about contestants.
A source said: “He hasn’t taken the decision lightly, but it just feels like time to move on.”
Several names have been tipped to replace him.
It seems fair to say we should expect even more shake-ups in the forthcoming series.
PASSION BOOST IN PARIS
IT’S taken three seasons but writers of Netflix’s Emily In Paris have finally remembered its setting in the City of Love – and upped the amount of sex.
There are seven steamy encounters and even the series’ first lesbian affair.
Emily’s seductive French boss Sylvie is in half of the passionate scenes as the drama sees her in bed with amateur photographer Erik then getting intimate with her estranged husband Laurent in a swimming pool.
Meanwhile Emily’s pal Camille falls for artist Sofia and the pair are seen passionately kissing before lying naked together in bed.
But Emily herself, played by Lily Collins has just one bedroom scene with Alfie, hunk Lucien Laviscount.
She’s letting the side down.
Not that viewers seem to mind, with some 118million hours viewed in the third series’ first week.
ISLE PRAY
CELEBS Go Dating’s Laura Anderson says a religious keepsake saved her boyfriend, Hollyoaks’ Gary Lucy when he was in a horror car crash on Boxing Day.
Sharing a snap of a card, she wrote: “Thank you St Joseph for saving my love.
“Gary’s gran gave him this, it has words about safety.”
ALISON & DERMOT GP BUDS
YOU would think Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary spend enough time together on This Morning.
But the pals have shared how they even visited the doctors with each other.
Dermot told the Dish podcast: “We’ve just had a lovely afternoon together.”
Alison said: “I was gonna cancel Dermot because (my son) Aiden ended up having a really sore throat.
“Next thing I know, Dermot’s like ‘I’m coming with you’.
‘It was hilarious. We got to the doctors and they were all so starstruck by Dermot.
“I said, ‘this is Aiden’s TV dad!’
“And then (the doctor is) explaining what’s wrong with his throat, and then cut to Dermot is being measured by the doctor because he wants to know how tall he is!”
I bet Dermot’s got a lovely bedside manner.
'Babbling mess'
LOOSE Women panellist Brenda Edwards has opened up about the team’s win on ITV’s Britain Get Singing.
They dedicated Bridge Over Troubled Water to her late son, music entrepreneur Jamal.
She said: “It got all of us very emotional.
“We were a babbling mess.” Denise Welch said: “There wasn’t a dry eye.”
RETURN OF MARE UP IN AIR
KATE WINSLET admits that, just like fans, she is guessing whether her gritty telly drama Mare of Easttown will return for a second outing.
The Titanic star won an Emmy for portraying Philadelphia detective Mare Sheehan in the Sky Atlantic series.
She said: “I just don’t know what we’ll do.
“All I can say is no decision has been made. Honestly, it really hasn’t.
“Those are questions none of us can answer right now.
“The question is, do you quit while you’re ahead? Do you hold your head high and say, ‘Look at what we did, I’m so proud of that,’ and walk away? Or do we go for it again?”
Eighteen months ago, the show’s creator Brad Ingelsby said HBO had reached out to him regarding a potential follow-up but added: “I just don’t know what the story is.
“That’s the issue right now.”