BGT semi finals will be dangerous, glamorous & feature a never seen before surprise, reveals Bruno Tonioli
BRITAIN’S Got Talent may be leaving the bright lights of Blackpool after eight weeks of auditions and heading to the capital.
But judge Bruno Tonioli says the amazing semi-finalists will make for a spectacle worthy of an even sparklier city — Las Vegas.
And he reckons the sensational outfits to be worn by Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and himself are straight off the famous strip, too.
Bruno, 69, said: “We have some magicians and these danger acts.
“Those are fun and the kind of acts that do down very, very, very well in Vegas.
“You’ve got singers that could get work in musical theatre or get a record deal, and you get dance troupes that could tour the country and are very Vegas.
“But I think very much that when it comes to the magic acts, to the danger acts, burlesque acts, it gives you the kind of Vegas feel.
“That’s how it used to be! There used to be lots of theatres which used to do variety in the UK.”
Over the years, a huge part of the ITV programme’s draw has been the judging panel’s outfits.
Amanda has famously attracted Ofcom complaints for her plunging necklines and hip-high slashed skirts.
Bruno added with a chuckle: “Well, you don’t want to be bland, do you?
“You know, it’s glamorous, it’s glitzy. They look fantastic. And people look forward to seeing what they’re wearing.
“I’m going to measure Amanda’s decolletage and I’m going to make sure mine are deeper!
“Maybe Amanda and I should do a Vegas act.
“She can sing, I can sing, we’ll be kind of Renee and Renato.
“I should pass that on. We could actually do it for a laugh.”
Warming to his theme, the former Strictly judge added: “We should enter Eurovision, the four of us, like the new Bucks Fizz. That’ll be hysterical.”
Now in his third series, Bruno’s infectious sense of fun has seen him become a much-loved part of the BGT furniture.
But he has swiftly got the measure of boss Simon Cowell and goes back on his idea to grace the stage himself.
Bruno added: “I’m not mentioning anything, actually, because if I mention it, if you say anything to Simon . . . I’ve known him for ever and if you say anything, be careful. It would be used against you — maybe five years later.
“And obviously, I’m not even going there.”
The judges taking a turn on stage would be a fitting start to the semi-finals.
For the first time in the show’s 18-series history, the five live semi- final shows will not air nightly over one week.
Instead, they will be broadcast as five, two-hour extravaganzas on primetime Saturday night TV, live from London’s Hammersmith Apollo.
Another new feature of each semi show gives one of the judges, or hosts Ant and Dec, the chance to use the golden buzzer to send one act straight through to the final.
One other performance will also go through each night, which is voted for by the public.
Bruno said: “I’m petrified about this. I’m probably going to get it completely wrong.
“We have a special golden buzzer now in every semi-final.
“Each one of us, one night, we press the golden buzzer and send that person straight to the final. That has never happened before.
“With the live shows, the atmosphere is just electrifying and the talent is so, so, so high.
“What we’ve got in every genre is extraordinary, from singers, magicians, comedians, dancers.”
What the show also has, though, is a number of performers who have revved up viewers for the wrong reason.
When I do a show, I never watch it back. I never watched back any Strictly or Dancing With The Stars
Bruno Tonioli
Danger act Auzzy Blood’s appearance attracted more than 600 complaints, with one concerned mum writing online: “My six-year-old was traumatised, poor thing. It’s not even 9pm.”
Another added: “My daughter’s nearly throwing up and I just couldn’t look at all.”
Auzzy pushed a giant corkscrew through his nose before hanging himself to the ceiling with a meat hook.
In another stunt, he pushed a tube through his face and convinced Simon to suck liquid through it.
Simon always backed the act, and the judges sent Auzzy Blood through to the semis. At the series launch, Simon revealed: “It’s spooky horror where you don’t want to watch it, but you do want to watch it.
“That’s obviously why we’re going to show it.
“We probably will get some complaints. Hopefully.”
Now Bruno has weighed in over the inclusion of such shocking acts.
He said: “You know Auzzy Blood, it does make you cringe but it’s a very, very, very sophisticated act.
“His presentation, to me, was a bit like the Hammer House Of Horror feel.
“Do you remember these movies that had this kind of wonderful gothic feel to it?
“He’s part of the range of entertainment. Some of these acts are huge in Vegas.
‘Definitely not boring’
“But I don’t think it’s offensive, I think there is a lot of skill in what he does.”
If anything, Bruno believes the act adds to the flavour of BGT and harks back to the time of US showman PT Barnum, the father of variety, in the Victorian era.
He added: “I mean, the worst thing you can do is be boring. We’re definitely not boring.
“Obviously, it created a reaction. And, you know, it’s a variety show. If you go back to the days of Barnum, these acts were part of the range of entertainers that he used to show.
“So there is actually a historical precedent to it. It’s not something we just do for shock value.
“It is something that is out there and it has been around, again, within this canon of variety for hundreds of years.
“I don’t think it’s that shocking but that is my opinion and I respect everyone else’s.”
It is fair to say Bruno knows his stuff.
‘After a show, I have such adrenaline’
And that is even more the case now Simon has persuaded him to actually watch the show, with the Italian declaring: “It’s good!”
Bruno explained: “I never see it. But Simon made me watch it on Saturday. When I do a show, I never watch it back. I never watched back any Strictly or Dancing With The Stars.
For me, the excitement really is to see how they’re going to raise the game, because it’s so competitive
Bruno Tonioli
“For me, if you watch back, you start looking at things, especially at yourself. It doesn’t work for me.”
So would Bruno perhaps give himself a golden buzzer?
“Whatever you do — it could be singing, acting, dancing, painting — you know that could have been better. I am very critical. But I think it is a very, very good show.”
Other performers that have made it through to the semi-finals include golden buzzer acts such as impressionist Will Burns, schoolboy guitarist Olly Pearson, Swiss dance troupe The Blackouts and charity choir Electric Umbrella.
But also in that group are five singers — Max Fox, Maya Giotea, Linda Mudzenda, Stacey Leadbeatter and Vinnie McKee.
They will all vie for a £250,000 prize and a spot on the Royal Variety Performance bill.
Bruno said: “For me, the excitement really is to see how they’re going to raise the game, because it’s so competitive.
“You do a great run and then when it comes to this occasion, it’s like Wimbledon.
“They do so well and then they freeze. After a show, I have such adrenaline.
“It is the day after, you need to recharge the batteries.”
It sounds like Bruno will require more than a boost after the epic run of Saturday nights, which begin tonight and run through until the end of May.
He said with a laugh: “Amanda and I, we always have a lovely little relaxation drink after the show. That’s my favourite part, actually.”
- Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals begin tonight at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
THE GOLDEN BUZZER ACTS
MAX FOX
Club singer, 35, arrived as an audience member but blagged his way on stage to audition, landing a golden buzzer from Amanda with his version of My Way.
MAYA GIOTEA
Bruno awarded Romanian singer Maya, 14, the show’s quickest golden buzzer when she began performing Beyonce track Listen, from the Dream Girls musical.
VINNIE McKEE
The Glaswegian bingo caller, 29, was the first golden buzzer of the series after impressing Simon when he sang The Proclaimers’ classic I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).
STACEY LEADBEATTER
Guest judge KSI was wowed by the singer, 29 from Batley, West Yorkshire, when she sang a stunning version of Snow Patrol’s Run.
WILL BURNS
The comedian, 24, from Leeds, got Ant and Dec’s vote with a series of hilarious TV impressions including skits from Gogglebox and Big Brother.
THE BLACKOUTS
Swiss dance troupe got the audience’s golden buzzer after the four judges were so impressed with the eclectic light show, they all pressed the button.
LINDA MUDZENDA
Linda, 21, overcame her nerves and was able to seduce the crowd – and Alesha Dixon – with a soulful performance of Lauren Daigle’s You Say.
OLLY PEARSON
Schoolboy guitarist Olly, 11, shredded his way through hits from Queen, Van Halen and AC/DC, earning himself backing from Amanda Holden.
ELECTRIC UMBRELLA
Simon’s second golden buzzer of the series went to this charity choir from Watford, who lit up the room with their original song called Acceptance.