Britain's Got Talent Returns Amid Viewer Concerns Over Show's Decline
Britain's Got Talent officially launched its nineteenth series on February 21 at 7pm on ITV and ITVX, bringing back the familiar format of dancers, magicians, and various entertainment performers competing for a spot on the Royal Variety Show and a substantial £250,000 prize. However, the return comes against a backdrop of significant viewer criticism and declining ratings that have many questioning the show's longevity.
New Judge and Production Changes
The most notable change for this series is the arrival of YouTuber and musician KSI as a permanent judge, replacing Bruno Tonioli on the panel alongside returning stalwarts Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon. During initial filming sessions in Blackpool, television personality Stacey Solomon briefly served as a guest judge while standing in for Simon Cowell.
A substantial portion of the new series was filmed at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where judges reported an especially "wild" atmosphere this year. Beloved presenting duo Ant & Dec have returned to front the show and oversee backstage proceedings throughout the audition process.
Ratings Decline and Viewer Criticism
While some viewers express excitement about the show's return, numerous others suggest the programme has 'run its course' and 'had its day.' Audience numbers for the previous series experienced a marked drop compared to earlier years, continuing a declining pattern for live terrestrial broadcasting.
Approximately 4.1 million viewers watched magician Harry Moulding claim victory in the 2025 series finale, marking the lowest-viewed finale since the show's 2007 debut. This figure represents only overnight TV ratings and doesn't include ITVX streaming or catch-up services. The 2025 series also launched with approximately 5.5 million viewers, representing a drop of around one million from the 2022 launch.
Traditionally, the programme has attracted an average audience of between 6 to 10 million per series, but the rise of streaming services in recent years has led to a more dispersed live viewership.
Viewer Analysis of the Decline
Some viewers believe they've identified specific reasons behind the dwindling numbers. On Reddit threads and social media platforms, fans have expressed frustration with several aspects of the show's current format.
One viewer passionately declared: "I swear that the show is fast declining, overloaded with sob stories and silly slow-motion frames. Even if these elements became less frequent, the show itself hasn't seemed to have recovered. This season the golden buzzer during the live show seems a ridiculous idea, with crowds screaming for gold through each act, and many predictable acts as well. We see the same old sounding singers, choirs, and magicians."
The viewer continued their critique of the judging panel: "Simon as a judge just isn't cutting it anymore. Give him anything daft and he'll cheer and clap. The old Simon would never do this. It's not a good look. Even KSI is making Simon appear weak at times. BGT used to maintain high standards whilst still managing to be amusingly stupid when necessary. Now it's just filled with silly or stupid acts with inflated egos thinking they're actually decent, and the judges concur while the majority of people commenting on the shows feel otherwise."
Many other viewers echoed these sentiments, with some expressing surprise that the show hadn't been axed already. One commented: "It was over about ten years ago. I can't believe it's still on and people still watch it. It's like Walking Dead Season 11 now." Another chimed in: "I haven't heard it mentioned for years. I assumed it had stopped." A third simply stated: "I didn't even know it was still on TV."
Format and Scheduling Concerns
Additional criticism focused on production decisions and scheduling. One viewer shared: "Last year's BGT is noticeably worse, especially the awful decision to have golden buzzers in the semi-finals, and to drag the air time of the show out for so long on both the auditions and semi-finals. Frankly, I think ITV are getting desperate for stuff to fill primetime slots with, so if they have a well-established show like BGT, they milk it for all its worth until it stops being fun."
This perspective suggests that the network's programming strategy may be contributing to viewer fatigue with the long-running talent competition. The combination of repetitive acts, extended runtime, and what some perceive as desperation in primetime scheduling has created a perfect storm of viewer dissatisfaction.
As Britain's Got Talent continues its nineteenth series with its new judging lineup and familiar format, the show faces the dual challenge of adapting to changing viewing habits in the streaming era while addressing the specific criticisms that loyal viewers have identified as contributing to its decline. Whether the addition of KSI and other production elements can reverse the ratings trend remains to be seen, but the vocal feedback from viewers suggests significant changes may be necessary to maintain the show's relevance in contemporary television landscape.
