SOCIAL Media star KSI will be a guest judge in the Britain’s Got Talent auditions – with bosses hoping he’ll bring some of his 80million followers to the show.
The musician and boxer will stand in when Bruno Tonioli, 68, heads to the US to be on the panel of Dancing with the Stars, the American equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing.
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KSI, 31, will take over for three out of the five days that BGT has its first round of auditions in Blackpool this month and show chiefs will be hoping he’ll open up the programme to a bigger market.
A TV insider said: “Their new judge doesn’t just know a thing or two about entertaining, he has a colossal following who are largely young and tech savvy, which is just the sort of viewer that the show now thrives on.
“BGT isn’t just a TV show it’s a global internet phenomenon as well, with clips of the various acts being watched a staggering 24 billion times around the world. Which is why KSi is the perfect match, as his music alone has been streamed 2.7billion times.”
KSI is a musician, with two singles out on October 3 called Thick Of It and Low, but recently he’s moved into business and has previously boxed in matches against Tommy Fury and Logan Paul.
KSI was revealed to be in talks with BGT four months ago but the deal was only struck his week.
He 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.”
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BGT’s Best Golden Buzzer Moments
BGT have handed out many Golden Buzzer’s over the years, can you remember some of the most famous
- Loren Allred – Loren Allred, 32, from Brooklyn, New York jetted to London to audition after recording the vocals for The Greatest Showman. The stunning singer got a standing ovation and a Golden Buzzer from the judges as she delivered a stirring rendition of Never Enough from the popular film. Loren came out on stage and revealed to the judges they would have heard her voice many times before that moment. “I was hired to record the vocals for The Greatest Showman as a guide for the actors to know how to sing the songs,” she explained. Loren then revealed actress Rebecca Ferguson was so stunned by her singing that she decided to let her vocals be heard in the movie. “So she lip-synced,” Loren said.
- Chicken Shed Theatre Company – Comprised of individuals aged between 5 and 37, the group was set up to welcome anyone irrespective of background to get up on stage and perform and fulfil their dream. Chicken Shed prides itself on accepting anyone and does not hold auditions to make the group a safe and inclusive space. The group wowed as they performed Wonder by Naughty Boy featuring Emeli Sande. It meant that Alesha wasted no time as she decided to hit her golden buzzer for the young performers. She told them it was her “honour” to reward their inclusiveness with her golden buzzer.
- The Dancing Granny – Granny Paddy Jones and her professional partner Niko Espinosa first hit headlines when they won the Spanish talent show Tú sí que vales in 2009, before going on to appear on Britain’s Got Talent in 2014 where they came ninth. Amanda Holden was so impressed with Paddy that she gave her the Golden Buzzer, which sent them straight through to the semi-finals. But things took a worrying turn when Paddy cracked a rib while rehearsing a new move and her place on the show was under doubt. She was given the all-clear to perform in the end but didn’t quite live up to expectations.
- Bars and Melody – They will forever be remembered for their anti-bullying song on the talent show. Bars and Melody were first seen on the 2014 series of Britain’s Got Talent, getting shuttled into the semi-finals when Simon Cowell pressed his Golden Buzzer. They made it to the final thanks to a performance of I’ll Be Missing You but lost out on the crown to Collabro. These days Charlie Lenehan – known as Melody – is covered in tattoos, with inkings on his neck, arms and chest. But he is as close as ever to co-star Leondre Devries – who is Bars – with the pair seen enjoying themselves in exotic locations all over the world.