Britain's Got Talent cancel the first day of auditions for 2026 series
Hundreds of fans and auditionees had turned up in Birmingham for filmingBritain’s Got Talent has cancelled the first day of auditions for the 2026 series, it has been confirmed.
Show bosses at ITV have said the plug was pulled at the Hippodrome theatre in Birmingham due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Hundreds of audience members and hopeful contestants had turned up to discover the day’s filming has been postponed to a future date.
Unconfirmed reports claim head judge Simon Cowell is unwell. An insider said Simon is “on the mend now” after suffering from a “migraine”.
A Britain’s Got Talent spokesperson said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances today’s filming of Britain’s Got Talent has been postponed.”
Britain’s Got Talent new judge
The Britain’s Got Talent cast and crew are due to be filming auditions in Birmingham all week. It is the first venue on their list, with a string of other cities due to host auditions over the coming weeks. Next week, auditions are due to be filmed in Blackpool.
Today’s round of auditions was due to be the first day on set for new judge, KSI. The YouTube sensation was announced as a full time member to the judging panel last month.
The rapper and boxer has been brought in to replace Bruno Tonioli having impressed bosses earlier this year. KSI stood in for Bruno while he was in the US when the 2025 series was being filmed. Bruno has now quit completely due to a clash with Dancing With The Stars, which he is also a judge on.
KSI will now sit alongside Simon, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon for the entire 2026 series when it airs next year.
The star, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, said: “I’m so grateful and happy to be a part of the Britain’s Got Talent team for another season. I had such a good time last year and I can’t wait to see some more top talent.
“I’m full of energy, ready to go and can’t wait to make this the most entertaining BGT season ever. Let’s do this.”
KSI has joined the BGT judging panel full-time for 2026 [Credit: YouTube/ Britain’s Got Talent]
Who won Britain’s Got Talent this year?
The people auditioning for next year’s Britain’s Got Talent come hot on the heels from this year’s winner. The 2025 series was won by magician Harry Moulding. Harry impressed the judges, studio audience and viewers at home with his mind-blowing huge tricks.
One of Harry’s tricks saw him in Paris and he did a sky-diving stunt in another one. As the 2025 winner, he will now perform at this year’s Royal Variety Performance. The show, hosted by Jason Manford, will be filmed for ITV and air in December.
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