Britain’s Got Talent has officially returned to our screens for season 19 (yes, you read that correctly), with judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI in charge of finding the next big thing – and Ant and Dec hanging out with contestants on the sidelines, of course.
But despite the talent show’s long-standing hold over ITV (and our living rooms) things haven’t always been plain sailing, with BGT making the headlines more than once for some not-so-glamorous reasons, and facing thousands of Ofcom complaints in its nearly two-decade history.
From David Walliams’ departure to Auzzy Blood – here, we take a look back at some of Britain’s Got Talent’s most controversial moments to date.
Auzzy Blood’s graphic performance
BGT fans complained about Auzzy Blood last year.
(ITV)
Ofcom received 771 complaints about the 2025 launch episode due to two controversial acts. One of the performers, Auzzy Blood, put screws into his face and hauled himself to the top of the stage with a meat hook through his nose.
In another bizarre moment, Simon Cowell drank wine through a straw that was in Blood’s nose.
Akira Ohashi’s nearly-nude dance
The other act that received complaints, Akira Ohashi, performed a naked dance where he covered his privates with various different objects.
A spokeswoman for Ofcom said: “The vast majority of complaints were about Auzzy Blood’s routine. Around 90 of the complainants also complained about nudity in Akira Ohashi’s routine.”
Simon Cowell’s near-death experience
Cowell also noted how his “life was saved” last year, when security staff intervened during an audition where he had agreed to lie on the floor while the contestant smashed watermelons with a mallet around him. There was a moment where the hammer missed his head by an inch, according to Bruno Tonioli, who had a stint as a judge on the show.
Presenter Ant McPartlin said of the 2025 series: “There’s a lot of danger this year. There was a moment this year where we were scared for Simon Cowell’s life. Genuinely, it was all a bit scary!”
Meanwhile, Cowell commented about he was prepared for some complaints in relation to Blood’s performance. He told Yahoo and other press: “We do have kids in the audience. I’m always looking behind, going do they like it? They actually, yeah they do. We probably will get some complaints, yeah.”
David Walliams’ abrupt exit
David Walliams left the show in 2022.
(Jonathan Brady, PA Images)
After ten years on the judging panel, comedian David Walliams left BGT when remarks he made about contestants during filming were leaked and published in The Guardian in 2022.
When his £1m contract wasn’t renewed, Walliams sued production company Fremantle, citing financial loss and psychiatric harm, and claiming that the firm must be the ultimate source of the transcript.
A year later, though, Walliams and the producers of Britain’s Got Talent reached an “amicable resolution.” He has not returned to the show.
Diversity’s dance routine
In 2024, Ofcom revealed the 10 most complained-about programmes in its history, including an episode of Britain’s Got Talent from 2020.
That year, more than 25,000 complaints were filed about Diversity’s performance. The routine saw a white police officer kneel on Ashley Banjo, echoing the real-life killing of unarmed Black man, George Floyd, in the US.
However, some viewers felt that the act was not suitable for family viewing and was supportive of the political organisation, Black Lives Matter.
At the time the dance aired, a BGT spokesperson said: “Diversity’s performance offered their take on the extraordinary events of 2020, opening up important topics of conversation. The show was compiled for a family audience.”
Ofcom concluded that, despite the number of complaints, it did not raise any issues under their broadcasting rules.
Nabil Abdulrashid’s jokes
Nabil Abdulrashid pictured on Live at The Apollo in 2023.
(BBC/Open Mike/Ellis O’Brien)
Also in 2020, more than 3,000 complaints were made about comedian Nabil Abdulrashid’s jokes.
Abdulrashid made the final of Britain’s Got Talent, later coming in fourth, having made jokes about religion and race.
Ofcom rejected the complaints it had received, saying in a statement at the time: “The comedian’s satirical take on his life experiences as a Black Muslim was likely to have been within audience expectations.”
In the semi-final, he joked about “angry far-right guys” and the police treatment of Black people, sparking nearly 1,000 complaints.
A further 2,200 viewers complained when the comedian joked about “snowflakes” not liking his routine the week before.
Amanda Holden’s outfits
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden loves her fashion.
(ITV)
Amanda Holden has been the subject of many Ofcom complaints on Britain’s Got Talent over the years – simply because of the clothes she wears.
But Holden (quite rightly) fired back at complaints about her outfits in an interview with Yahoo last year, stating: “Look, I don’t put on revealing outfits on purpose and I am damned if anyone is going to dictate what I wear. If I want to dress up and feel sexy then so be it. I’m not going to apologise for the clothes I wear to anyone.
“I’m so against women being pigeon-holed for their age and people saying they shouldn’t wear certain clothes because they are over 50. And that’s why I love my latest range with Lipsy as it is designed for women of all ages and sizes. The material is so comfortable and flattering and it is affordable too.
“I know in the past viewers have complained about outfits I have worn but I honestly don’t give a hoot. I like to embrace life and grab it by the balls. And if that means wearing sexy clothes, I will continue to do so as I absolutely love dressing up and feeling glamorous.”
It was in 2017 when Holden caused the most controversy in a sheer black Julien Macdonald gown that cost £11,250, with as many as 633 complaints to the regulatory body.
Afterwards, Holden said at the time about the outfit: “That dress was hysterical. It was Julien Macdonald. I had bits of fish wire underneath my breasts trying to hold that together. But, look, I’m from a small-chest family plus, you know, I’m 48 years old. It’s all quite laughable, but all everyone seems to talk about. It’s been called another national crisis but, oh no, I will not be covered up.”
The fake dog scandal
Cast your minds back to 2011 and you may remember another controversial moment on the show: when viewers were duped into voting for a fake dog (sort of).
Okay, okay, so the dog itself was real, but it wasn’t the dog viewers had become accustomed to.
Basically, trainer Jules O’Dwyer decided to use a stunt dog to walk a tightrope rather than her Border Collie, Matisse, because it was afraid of heights.
In response, over 1,150 viewers complained to Ofcom and an investigation was launched after app users paid 50p per vote.
“We’ve opened an investigation to determine whether viewers of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent final, who may have paid money to vote, were misled about the competition,” an Ofcom spokesman said at the time.
Britain’s Got Talent airs at 7pm on Saturdays on ITV and is available to stream on ITVX.