BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT TO RESUME FILMING THIS WEEKEND, SIMON COWELL STEPS BACK

Filming will resume this weekend on this year's Britain's Got Talent auditions shows, which were postponed today (Thursday 17th October) following the death of Liam Payne.

However, Simon Cowell will miss Saturday's auditions due to feeling "utterly shocked and devastated" by the passing of the former One Direction star. KSI, who joined the panel this week as a guest judge, will continue on the panel in his absence. Bruno, who KSI was filling in for, was due to return this weekend anyway.

The judging panel comprising of fan-favourites Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli join the incomparable hosting duo Ant and Dec in the search for Britain’s next talented superstar, who will ultimately bag a life-changing £250,000 cash prize and a spot on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.

Due to Bruno's other commitments, YouTube megastar, singer, rapper and Sidemen creator KSI will be stepping in as a guest judge for three of the five dates at its Blackpool round.

KSI said: "I’m so excited to be a guest judge for BGT. When I got the call up, I couldn’t believe it. I remember watching old BGT episodes and going from being amazed to laughing my a**e off. I’m buzzing to see all the fresh new talent, and I’ll be sure to leave a mark."

ITV previously confirmed that the 2025 series will launch in the first quarter of 2025, starting earlier than previous series to make up for the loss of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

The length of the series will remain the same, with eight audition episodes, five semi-finals and a live final. However, the semi-finals and final will now air on Saturday nights instead of being stripped across one week.

Speaking to advertisers, ITV said: "With more Britain’s Got Talent fun filled Saturday nights of entertainment than ever before, families across the nation will have the opportunity to celebrate and be entertained by the incredible diversity of British talent, and your brand could become a part of this cultural zeitgeist too."

Britain's Got Talent is available on ITVX.