Britain’s Got Talent received the worst ratings in its 17-year history on Sunday night, despite Simon Cowell claiming it was the best final he has seen in a long time.
Bookies’ have also claimed the show is at risk of being axed after viewing figures plummeted.
Only 5.2million viewers tuned in to watch the nail-biting final, which saw Sydnie Christmas be crowned the 2024 winner.
This years’ series is now the least watched series having declined since the 2009 peak, which saw 16.3million viewers turn their TV’s on to watch Diversity win the final over Susan Boyle.
According to Super TV, while ratings only dropped slightly compared to last year’s 5.3million viewers, there is a clear decline in popularity for the long-running show.
Britain’s Got Talent received the worst ratings in 17 years on Sunday night, despite Simon Cowell claiming it was the best final he has seen in a long time
Bookies’ have also claimed the show is at risk of being axed after viewing figures plummeted (judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli pictured)
Despite the final’s low viewing figures it still attracted ITV’s biggest overnight audience of the year so far, outside of the FA Cup, with a 55 percent share for 16-34s.
Over on ITVX the series has been streamed more than 17 million times which is up by two million streams on last year.
While official figures proved the popularity for the UK show is diminishing, fans gave their say on whether they want the show to stay or go.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, some fans wrote: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if is axed soon.
‘The amount of controversy this year, add the fact that it got tired and predictable years ago. Just means the show’s had its day and it is time to retire this format of pointless entertainment’.
‘It’s about time #BGT was axed’.
‘So professional singer wins a talent show, definitely stinks of fixing votes, time for the show to be AXED, when it’s always the so called none professionals that win’.
According to the latest odds from Ladbrokes the latest series could be its last with viewing figures on the decline, the bookies now make it just a 6/1 shot that the showed is axed next year.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: ‘Viewing figures only seem to be heading in one direction, and the odds suggest the most recent series could well have been the last.’
Judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli have been criticised for upstaging performers during this series.
Only 5.2million viewers tuned in to watch the nail-biting final, which saw Sydnie Christmas be crowned the 2024 winner
This years’ series is now the least watched series since 2009, which saw 16.3million viewers turn their TV’s
The show has been marred by drama with the judges accused of upstaging performers, fans criticising the inclusion of international acts, contestants suffering injuries and claims the winner is ‘already a professional.’
Fans were furious after discovering that Sydnie, 28, had already enjoyed a career in music, despite her current role seeing her work as a receptionist in Kent at a local gym on a zero hour contract.
The show has also received criticism from viewers for featuring more international acts in this year’s series than ever before.
Last month fans even threatened to boycott the show and call Ofcom as they claimed the ITV programme has ‘morphed into an international show.
Elsewhere, Amanda Holden’s outfits have once again been a topic of discussion with outraged viewers claiming her daring looks have ‘upstaged’ the acts.
Other controversy saw a Britain’s Got Talent finalist injured during Sunday night’s show and was forced to limp off stage.
Ssaulabi Performance Troupe’s high-flying act ended abruptly for one member when they seemed to land poorly after executing a somersault.
Fans of Britain’s Got Talent reacted furiously online after discovering that Sydnie had already enjoyed a career in music.
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According to the latest odds from Ladbrokes the latest series could be its last with viewing figures on the decline, the bookies now make it just a 6/1 shot that the showed is axed next year
The show has been marred by drama with the judges accused of upstaging performers, fans criticising the inclusion of international acts and claims the winner is ‘already a professional’
The budding West End star scooped the coveted £250,000 prize and will get to perform at the Royal Variety Show after impressing judges Simon Cowell, Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden and winning over the voting public.
She beat ten other outstanding acts with her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow after a jam-packed episode.
Despite her victory, viewers at home took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their dismay at the result of Sunday night’s final, fuming: ‘Total fix. She IS a professional performer.’
‘I believe you’ve got singles and professional singer reeks of being rigged and a fix’.
‘An absolute fix and she murdered Somewhere Over The Rainbow. And she’s a “professional”…’.
‘Sydnie Christmas a PROFESSIONAL singer, with a song already on Spotify. Has won Britain got talent. What a total fix, so glad I stopped watching that s**t years and years ago!!!’
‘She also shouldn’t have won as she’s already a PROFESSIONAL singer.’
‘Saw on social media if true that Sydnie Christmas was in a production of Starlight Express in Germany that’s sounds professional to me.’
Britain’s Got Talent: Amanda and Alesha’s semi-final and final outfits
The reaction in response to Sydnie’s victory comes after similar sentiments expressed by fans at at the start of the audition process.
Sydnie has worked on cruise ships including the Royal Caribbean International, where she starred as Rizzo in the musical Grease.
She made her debut in London as one of the lead voices in Lazarus, featuring the music of David Bowie, at the King’s Cross Theatre and shared a snap backstage of Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson after he attended the show.
As one post above pointed out, she then went on to appear in a German production of Starlight Express in 2019 as Belle the Bar Car.
However, her current role sees her work as a receptionist in Kent at a local gym on a zero hour contract and she previously insisted that despite the outcome of Sunday’s show, she will be returning to work Monday morning.
Speaking to The Mirror, she joked: ‘I’ve already had two weeks off – and I’m on a zero-hours contract. I have rent to pay!’
Sydnie has dreamt of being able to work full-time on the West End stage and is hopeful that BGT will be a stepping stone to make that dream a reality.
‘In a year’s time, I hope I’m living my dream. I want to be doing what I love for a living instead of rolling towels and making shakes!’
Singer Nkululeko Innocent Masuku, who is now based in London, is originally from South Africa and is a former studio member of the Cape Town opera.
Despite the incredible talent, fans weren’t happy with Amanda as they took to Twitter to suggest the show be renamed ‘The Globe’s Got Talent’ after she insisted it was an international show.
They wrote: ‘If #BGT is a “global show” as Amanda has just claimed, then maybe change the name to ‘The Globe’s Got Talent’.
‘#BGT No Amanda, it’s called Britain’s got Talent! If you want it Global call it The World’s got Talent’.
Earlier in the series disgruntled fans admitted that they believed the show should be for British people because of its name and wanted to take the issue to the UK TV regulator.
Angry fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain about the multiple international auditions, with little acts from Britain.
Some wrote: ‘Britain’s Got Talent seems to have morphed from Britain’s Got Talent into an international variety show’
‘And also Britain’s Got People With Sad Stories. Like, it’s very sad when people fall ill and it’s very inspiring when they recover from illness and are able to be happy and healthy. But doing that then squawking into a microphone is not talent.’
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13488529/Britains-Got-Talent-receives-WORST-ratings-17-YEARS-Simon-Cowell-bookies-axed.html