BGT’s most complained about moments – racy outfits, ‘unacceptable’ stunt and ‘new low’

Britain’s Got Talent has come under fire plenty of times of the years.

The ITV talent show which stars celeb judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli is back with its 17th series. But it has already sparked complaints on social media, with folks berating recent performances.

One controversial act was even branded as “unacceptable” and another a “new low”. Disgruntled fans have taken it one step further by lodging their complaints to media regulator Ofcom about the show.

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From dangerous stunts to judge Amanda’s risqué outfits, Daily Star has rounded up the most complained about moments in the programme’s history.

Diversity’s BLM dance

BGT became the most complained about TV series in over a decade following Diversity’s dance tribute to Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. An actor was seen kneeling on Ashley Banjo’s neck during the performance, which also attracted heaps of praise.

The routine was hit with over 24,500 complaint to Ofcom over concerns of depicted violence. Ofcom came to its defence, stating: “In our view, Diversity’s performance was an artistic expression of topical social issues and did not contain any content which was racist, unsuitably violent or otherwise inappropriate in the context of this programme.”

Backing their decision to air the performance, ITV issued a statement commending Diversity: “Britain’s Got Talent has always been an inclusive show, which showcases diversity and supports strong storytelling in all forms and ITV stands behind the decision to broadcast Diversity’s performance on BGT.”

Nabil Abdulrashid’s jokes

In 2020, comedian Nabil angered viewers with his stand-up routine in the final of the show. It included jokes that “Winston Churchill was black” and discussed police brutality.

Nabil opened his routine by saying: “They complained because we said black lives matter – thousands of complaints. To be honest I’m shocked that many of them know how to write.

“They sent in thousands of angry letters. Hopefully if I annoy them today they can progress onto words. They even wrote complaints about me – that’s what upsets me. What did I say to offend anybody?

“You’d think I came out here and said something really inflammatory… like Winston Churchill was black. By the way, he was. I can prove it. When was the last time you met a white man called Winston?”

Amanda Holden’s outfits

It’s no secret that judge Amanda Holden liked to step out in some eye-catching outfits while on the show. Though many love her ageless looks, the star’s risque ensembles have certainly got people talking.

One particular outfit in 2017 sent viewers into meltdown, racking up a whopping 663 complaints to Ofcom. The daring sheer black number featured a plunging neckline that left little to the imagination.

But Amanda was all too aware of the potential for controversy, cheekily telling The Sun ahead of the series: “I can’t wait to wear my dresses. They are very flattering and feminine and a few are… what you would expect.”

“Will people be complaining to Ofcom? I hope so. I really do. I haven’t done my job if they aren’t.”

Fast forward to 2020, and Amanda’s wardrobe choices were causing a stir yet again. This time, she received over 235 complaints for donning a revealing navy gown during the Semi-Finals.

‘Unacceptable’ stunt

During the 2023 auditions in BGT, controversy arose when professional stuntman Thomas Vu put on a fiery display for his act. His performance, which involved setting himself on fire while solving a Rubik’s Cube, created quite a heated debate among viewers who described the act as “insensitive” and “unacceptable.”

The daring spectacle prompted hosts Ant and Dec to warn viewers: “Do not try this at home ever.” This particular act stirred up more than 400 Ofcom complaints after going live on-air.

Fans, fuelled by shock and worry, expressed their sentiments online. One viewer criticised: “BGT totally ill-considered showing a guy setting himself on fire whilst solving a Rubik’s Cube,” and another chimed in, warning, “No thought to the fact that impressionable children watch the show.”

A third fumed: “Sorry but showing a man setting himself on fire on a ‘family’ show is not acceptable. Even with the mention ‘do not try this at home’.”

Jennifer Lopez’ routine

Jennifer Lopez’s sizzling dance routine on Britain’s Got Talent back in 2013 left viewers a bit hot under the collar, with her racy outfit triggering a flood of complaints. The pop sensation dazzled in thigh-high boots and a figure-hugging black bodysuit, but some fans reckoned it was a tad too spicy for a family-friendly programme.

A whopping 100-plus complaints were received by OfCom in under a day, with one viewer venting on Twitter, now known as X: “Jennifer Lopez in rubber underwear and thigh-high boots? Yeah that’s great ‘family’ viewing on #BGT.”

Another chimed in: “Disgusted in @JLo outfit on BGT. Family show an she wears that! Disgusting!!! “.

Even Amanda Holden couldn’t resist commenting on JLo’s performance, leaving audiences gobsmacked as she quipped: “Well J-Lo’s a**e. I just wanted to bite it.”

Post-complaints, OfCom stated at the time: “We recieved complaints which we are assessing but not investigating.” JLo herself shrugged off the controversy during a chat with Scott Mills on Radio 1, saying: “I feel like I’m so tame.”

App failure

Issues arose when disappointed viewers were left out of pocket after investing in a malfunctioning Britain’s Got Talent app. The app, priced at £1.49, failed to allow for voting during the semi-final despite it claiming to offer users three votes for their top acts.

Ofcom became involved in the matter, reaffirming in a statement that ITV has an obligation to ensure its audience voting systems are sound under their Ofcom license. They said: “Ofcom was therefore concerned that the application was unable to handle demand when voting opened.”

“This meant that a significant proportion of viewers who had responded to the programme’s invitation to purchase voting credits via the app were unable to use them and that therefore viewers were effectively misled, albeit unintentionally.” After facing these issues, ITV offered an apology for the slip-up and decided to discontinue the usage of the app for the subsequent live shows.

‘A new low’

‘Fartist’ act Ichikawa Koikuchi didn’t exactly win over the crowd during the 2023 auditions, with fans blasting the show for “stooping to a new low.” Ichikawa’s unique talent involved breaking wind to extinguish candles on a birthday cake, followed by a fart-propelled dart to burst a balloon.

Social media was ablaze with criticism after the performance, with one viewer slamming ITV: “Has to be a new low for @ITV.”

Another said: “At one time, this type of ‘act’ would never had got through. How low the depths of BGT has fallen. It really is a load of hot air! “. Echoing the sentiment, a third shared: “That farting act made me feel sick!! #BGT.” OfCom was inundated with 66 complaints about the eyebrow-raising performance.

‘Vile’ burping act

We’re off to a flying start this year as burping performer Kimberly Winter left viewers feeling sick. 54 people complained to Ofcom about it, and poor judge Alesha Dixon was so fed up she walked off.

One fan wrote: “Was quite enjoying #BGT then all the burping happened no need to see that. Vile”. But to the surprise of many, she made it through as Simon, Amanda and Bruno said yes and put her through to the next round.

Dog controversy

Britain’s Got Talent was hit with Ofcom complaints during the audition episodes back in May 2020. The TV watchdog confirmed that 48 viewers had a problem with a moment, which was broadcast on the ITV show, to highlight the horrors of the dog meat trade.

During the final audition of the night, rescue dog Miracle and his owner Amanda stole the programme with an emotional performance. During her sequence, Amanda went on to play a video of the story behind why she rescued so many dogs, with it being revealed that Miracle had been a victim of the dog meat trade.

Afterwards, the judges revealed which dogs they’d chosen out of the photos, with Amanda bringing the four selected pups – out of the 40 she has at home – onstage. But fans at home were not happy with the footage that was shown.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk