Today was the press launch for Britain's Got Talent at the May Fair Hotel. London, EnglandVideo clip from what's on TV Video clip from the press launch here from the BBCVideo and little article from Digital spy hereHoff set to be a talent show starBritain's Got Talent adapts to life without Simon Cowell - The GuardianFirst episode of Britain's got talent - heatworldBritain's Got Talent Judges reveal their tip's to win and what it's like without Simon Cowellaoltv.co.uk
Britain's Got Talent kicks off on ITV1 on Saturday night so we met up with the hotly anticipated new judging panel – David Hasselhoff, Amanda Holden and Michael McIntyre, to find out more on the new series.
We were lucky enough to view the first episode in the presence of the judges and we've got to admit; it's more entertaining than ever before.
The new judging line-up really works, Michael adds fresh comedy (especially as he's too scared to press the buzzer), the Hoff adds some Hollywood craziness - calling for "talent that's Hoff the charts" - and Amanda holds the show together despite being mistaken for Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley.The first show kicks off in Liverpool where once again the age old saying "never judge a book by its cover" is displayed on stage. We watch bad Beatles impressions, a super-cute 9-year-old comedian, a women who idolises the Queen, a monster 'hulla-hooper', a blue man, and an IT engineer called Michael Collins who blows the crowd away with his incredible voice.But who do they judges tip to win? And how has the new judging line-up worked for them? Read our interview with them below to find out... David, is there as much talent in Britain as you expected there to be?David - Yes there was, it's pretty much the same as the States - the weird the wacky and the wonderful. What I found watching this show is the camaraderie in each part of the country, they've got their own spirit I love the audiences. At the drop of the hat they just want to sing, they're so into it, they're so positive. Everyone at any moment just wants to break out into a song!Michael - David you're describing yourself.What did you think of the guy that you described as having the EasyJet outfit on, Michael Collins?Michael – We only see the audition so we know nothing about the back story and people's lives. I only knew what he said which is he's in telecommunications so I had no idea that he lived in a caravan or that caravans have key cards. You see people who don't look very good, but have amazing voices and that's what it's all about. Michael Collins shows up and we think he's normal and then he's amazing.David - This shows about heart, it's very touching, he had a beautiful voice and this is what the show is about making people's dreams come true. To get that opportunity to come up and sing in front of millions of people.Michael how difficult did you find it to say no during auditions?Michael - I didn't know what they were going to put in show one and they've gone and made a thing about it! It is very hard when you've got people in front of you, its fine when you're watching in front of the TV when someone's awful, but when someone's actually staring at you and they believe they're very good I found it very difficult. But I got used to it in the end and when I did it a guy walked straight off when he still had two buzzes left. A kid nearly cried and the other guy went straight home, my buzzers seemed to be more powerful than their buzzers.Did you nearly cry?Michael - I wasn't wiping away tears as much as Mandy. There was this moment in the London auditions where it was so dead, a man had just come out to read poetry about doing a poo in the supermarket and someone shouted out from their seat "I want to go home". Then somebody came out who's my favourite and showed what he could do in a just a second. Even the people that have been working on the show for five year's broke down in tears at this moment. That's why I'm here not struggling on the other channel doing stand-up. You just don't get the emotions in stand-up, you get laughs but if you get tears your career is f**ked.
Amanda have you been very demanding this series?Amanda - No I'm not demanding at all, my husband doesn't think that, but Simon Cowell said I'm the least demanding out of all his female judges.Do you miss Simon even a tiny bit?Amanda - Sorry who?Michael and David this is the first time you've seen yourselves in the show, are you better than Simon and Piers?David – Well I worked with Piers before so I knew what I was up against. I think we're just so different. I think Michael is so entertaining and so funny it's just really fun for me to sit there and try and interpret what the guys on stage where saying, because half the time I have no idea what they were saying.Michael – One of the things I thought really early when I was doing it was how lucky I was to be sitting there. We can all do this job we're offering our opinion and we can all do this. Potentially you can help someone make it and give them a break and that was a privilege. The great thing is I really enjoyed it, you never knew what people's opinions where going to be. Simon's coming back as well. Simon phones every day.Amanda – He loves it, he's phoned us all.
Michael – He's got such a presence and it's his show and for me he makes the best shows on TV, I just felt him there all the time. It was a huge moment when we finished it and he absolutely loved it.Amanda – Michael was so used to entertaining the crowd that we had to get him to turn round in his seat so the camera could film him; he loved keeping the audience laughing.Michael – Yes and then I'd say something they didn't like and they'd boo and I didn't like that.Amanda - I knew when he was going to do a standing ovation when he did his shirt button up so people didn't see his stomach and then sometimes he'd furiously write something and he'd say come to me first for my opinion.By the end of the auditions which act were you sick of?David – Footballers there were lots of them and in the end we're really excited for the finals because we're really happy with the talent. There's one kid on there where you will see us all in tears as it was so emotional.I'd like to imagine for one moment that the world had never heard of any of you and you chose Britain's Got Talent to launch your career, what would be your act?Amanda – I would probably do the tap dance I've just learnt in my musical. Look at my face not my feet.Michael – I'd play the bells.Is there one of you that takes charge in the line-up?Michael – Mandy took charge because she's been doing it a long time and she's started doing the thing Simon does when he's had enough. I think she enjoys that, she likes being unleashed from between those two powerful men.David – Sometimes it's really hard to buzz someone because there's so nice.Could you each say who your pick to win is?Amanda –My favourite is a young singer.David – It's really hard to say especially seeing Michael Collins singing again today. But there's a young talent, a dancer, which is pretty much the most emotional moment of the show because he has a handicap and he was just unbelievable and you can see he just danced his life out on that stage and his feelings and it was pretty emotional for me.Michael – Seeing the insight behind the characters I think I'm going to change my mind many times. You can't help but get carried away by people's stories. At the moment it's the boy singer, oops boy or girl.http://talent.itv.com/Keep checking back for updates as we're sure there's going to be a lot of media coverage from this over the coming days.
The new judging line-up really works, Michael adds fresh comedy (especially as he's too scared to press the buzzer), the Hoff adds some Hollywood craziness - calling for "talent that's Hoff the charts" - and Amanda holds the show together despite being mistaken for Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley.The first show kicks off in Liverpool where once again the age old saying "never judge a book by its cover" is displayed on stage. We watch bad Beatles impressions, a super-cute 9-year-old comedian, a women who idolises the Queen, a monster 'hulla-hooper', a blue man, and an IT engineer called Michael Collins who blows the crowd away with his incredible voice.But who do they judges tip to win? And how has the new judging line-up worked for them? Read our interview with them below to find out... David, is there as much talent in Britain as you expected there to be?David - Yes there was, it's pretty much the same as the States - the weird the wacky and the wonderful. What I found watching this show is the camaraderie in each part of the country, they've got their own spirit I love the audiences. At the drop of the hat they just want to sing, they're so into it, they're so positive. Everyone at any moment just wants to break out into a song!Michael - David you're describing yourself.What did you think of the guy that you described as having the EasyJet outfit on, Michael Collins?Michael – We only see the audition so we know nothing about the back story and people's lives. I only knew what he said which is he's in telecommunications so I had no idea that he lived in a caravan or that caravans have key cards. You see people who don't look very good, but have amazing voices and that's what it's all about. Michael Collins shows up and we think he's normal and then he's amazing.David - This shows about heart, it's very touching, he had a beautiful voice and this is what the show is about making people's dreams come true. To get that opportunity to come up and sing in front of millions of people.Michael how difficult did you find it to say no during auditions?Michael - I didn't know what they were going to put in show one and they've gone and made a thing about it! It is very hard when you've got people in front of you, its fine when you're watching in front of the TV when someone's awful, but when someone's actually staring at you and they believe they're very good I found it very difficult. But I got used to it in the end and when I did it a guy walked straight off when he still had two buzzes left. A kid nearly cried and the other guy went straight home, my buzzers seemed to be more powerful than their buzzers.Did you nearly cry?Michael - I wasn't wiping away tears as much as Mandy. There was this moment in the London auditions where it was so dead, a man had just come out to read poetry about doing a poo in the supermarket and someone shouted out from their seat "I want to go home". Then somebody came out who's my favourite and showed what he could do in a just a second. Even the people that have been working on the show for five year's broke down in tears at this moment. That's why I'm here not struggling on the other channel doing stand-up. You just don't get the emotions in stand-up, you get laughs but if you get tears your career is f**ked.Amanda have you been very demanding this series?Amanda - No I'm not demanding at all, my husband doesn't think that, but Simon Cowell said I'm the least demanding out of all his female judges.Do you miss Simon even a tiny bit?Amanda - Sorry who?Michael and David this is the first time you've seen yourselves in the show, are you better than Simon and Piers?David – Well I worked with Piers before so I knew what I was up against. I think we're just so different. I think Michael is so entertaining and so funny it's just really fun for me to sit there and try and interpret what the guys on stage where saying, because half the time I have no idea what they were saying.Michael – One of the things I thought really early when I was doing it was how lucky I was to be sitting there. We can all do this job we're offering our opinion and we can all do this. Potentially you can help someone make it and give them a break and that was a privilege. The great thing is I really enjoyed it, you never knew what people's opinions where going to be. Simon's coming back as well. Simon phones every day.Amanda – He loves it, he's phoned us all.Michael – He's got such a presence and it's his show and for me he makes the best shows on TV, I just felt him there all the time. It was a huge moment when we finished it and he absolutely loved it.Amanda – Michael was so used to entertaining the crowd that we had to get him to turn round in his seat so the camera could film him; he loved keeping the audience laughing.Michael – Yes and then I'd say something they didn't like and they'd boo and I didn't like that.Amanda - I knew when he was going to do a standing ovation when he did his shirt button up so people didn't see his stomach and then sometimes he'd furiously write something and he'd say come to me first for my opinion.By the end of the auditions which act were you sick of?David – Footballers there were lots of them and in the end we're really excited for the finals because we're really happy with the talent. There's one kid on there where you will see us all in tears as it was so emotional.I'd like to imagine for one moment that the world had never heard of any of you and you chose Britain's Got Talent to launch your career, what would be your act?Amanda – I would probably do the tap dance I've just learnt in my musical. Look at my face not my feet.Michael – I'd play the bells.Is there one of you that takes charge in the line-up?Michael – Mandy took charge because she's been doing it a long time and she's started doing the thing Simon does when he's had enough. I think she enjoys that, she likes being unleashed from between those two powerful men.David – Sometimes it's really hard to buzz someone because there's so nice.Could you each say who your pick to win is?Amanda –My favourite is a young singer.David – It's really hard to say especially seeing Michael Collins singing again today. But there's a young talent, a dancer, which is pretty much the most emotional moment of the show because he has a handicap and he was just unbelievable and you can see he just danced his life out on that stage and his feelings and it was pretty emotional for me.Michael – Seeing the insight behind the characters I think I'm going to change my mind many times. You can't help but get carried away by people's stories. At the moment it's the boy singer, oops boy or girl.http://talent.itv.com/Keep checking back for updates as we're sure there's going to be a lot of media coverage from this over the coming days.
