YouTuber and Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI has pressed the golden buzzer and sent a semi-finalist act through to the final.
The ITV talent show returned to screens as eight acts performed during its third semi-final out of five, for the chance to appear at the Royal Variety Performance and win a cash prize.
Saturday night saw daredevil act Liwei Yang joined onstage by her husband for her suspense-filled act, during which she balanced an umbrella lit on fire and a giant spinning wheel engulfed in flames with just her feet.
(left to right) Ant McPartlin, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell, KSI and Declan Donnelly (Ian West/PA)
YouTube star KSI, real name Olajide Olatunji, described the act as “phenomenal” and “magical” as the audience roared with applause, before asking whether they thought he should press the coveted golden buzzer.
The 32-year-old slammed the button, sealing the Yang’s fate and sending her straight to the final, prompting the crowd to erupt into cheers while she shared a tearful embrace with her partner and golden confetti rained down onto the stage.
Each week, one of the judges has control of the golden buzzer and is able to send one act straight to the final – with KSI chosen for this week.
Fellow judge Amanda Holden added that she was “gobsmacked” by the act, while Simon Cowell deemed it “spectacular”.
After Yang received the golden buzzer, Alesha Dixon said: “Very well deserved. I was in awe, I was hypnotised by it, thinking what a brave, incredible woman you are. It was exhilarating from start to finish.”
Alesha Dixon called Yang’s act ‘exhilarating’ (Ian West/PA)
The remaining acts were depending on the public’s vote to get them through to the final.
Dance group Playground opened the episode with a high-energy choreographed routine to a mash-up of songs, including BTS star Jung Kook’s Standing Next To You and pop star Raye’s chart-topping Where Is My Husband?.
Following their performance, Cowell prompted cheers from the live studio audience as he said: “I think you absolutely nailed that.”
The Lux City Choir sung a gospel cover of Miley Cyrus’s The Climb, blended with elements of an African-sounding track, but the mix of songs were criticised by the judges with Dixon deeming it “a little bit clunky”.
Simon Cowell criticised Antigravity’s pre-recorded performance (Tim Markland/PA)
Acrobatic act Mizuki Shinagawa wowed the crowds and the judges, praised by Holden as “utterly out of this world”, while dance group Mega Unity performed a routine that the judges agreed did not compare to their audition.
Harpist and singer Niamh Noade performed a slowed rendition of Philip Oakey’s 1980s hit Together In Electric Dreams and comedian Ted Hill, who has been previously awarded the golden buzzer by Ant and Dec, left the audience and judges in uproarious laughter with Holden calling him a “comedy genius”.
Ukrainian performance group Antigravity were the last act of the show, with a pre-recorded performance that Cowell criticised as he “didn’t feel like I was judging humans”.
The episode also saw popular boyband Westlife take to the stage to perform a medley of their greatest hits, while comedian Hill was revealed as the next act who will be sent to the final.
Speaking to hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at the end of the show, Hill said: “Thank you so much to everyone that voted for me, this means the world for me. I’m lost for words.”
Britain’s Got Talent returns on ITV on Saturday at 7pm.