Simon Cowell teases ‘Paul Potts moment’ on new series of Britain’s Got Talent

Simon Cowell has teased a ‘Paul Potts moment’ on the new series of Britain’s Got Talent.

BGT will be back after a year away due to the pandemic this weekend on ITV.

Ant & Dec are back to present the the 2022 series. As ever they will be ready to cheer and console acts as they prepare to face the panel and live audience.

Alongside Simon on the panel this year are regulars David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden.

One of the acts set to make a mark at auditions is a busker called Maxwell.

“I loved him. I thought he was brilliant and it was very much like the Paul Potts moment,” Simon spilled ahead of the first audition episode. “It was a real surprise, I had no idea he was going to sing like that. He was so shy and I was praying it was going to work out for him.

“He chose a fantastic song, I looked around at the audience to see how they were reacting and it was just incredible the response he got. I’ve seen a small clip of it back and he’s absolutely amazing. That was a big moment.”

Simon continued: “I have to say, the contestants are brilliant, we have seen so many good acts this year. So many great stories have come out of auditions too.

“I think sometimes having the little break that we did is a positive thing. I think they realised how important the show is to them because they need a show like this for whatever they want to achieve in their lives. Everyone felt more excited about it.”

Meanwhile, Simon spoke about the positive impact of welcoming live audiences back to the auditions.

“It made such a difference,” he said. “You only have to see the reaction from everyone during auditions to realise what this show means to people. I think this show is a reminder that there is more that unites us than divides us. It literally is that, everyone gets on, everyone was optimistic.

“It felt happy and fun, that was something that was really important this year after lockdown and what we’ve all been through. The show had to come back as a fun show, it’s what we’ve all missed. There’s nothing else like it on TV.

“So, I really feel like everything we set out to do, we’ve achieved. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s everything I wanted and there was just this real sense of relief and fun. It was incredible.”

As ever contestants need at least three or more yeses from the panel to get a spot in the second round where they could make the semi-finals. Alternatively, five lucky performers can get the golden buzzers straight into the live stages.

As ever contestants are competing to win a cash prize and a place on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.

Britain’s Got Talent’s new series starts 17 April at 8PM on ITV and ITV Hub.