17:00, 19 Feb 2026<\/p>\n
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Ant, KSI, Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Dec(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n
Britain’s Got Talent<\/a> is back for 2026 with a new judge and new performers.<\/p>\n The long-running ITV<\/a> competition will see Ant and Dec return to host as hundreds of hopefuls take to the stage in the hope of not just impressing the judges, but also the voting public in a bid to win the life-changing cash prize of \u00a3250,000 and a sought-after slot at the world-famous Royal Variety Performance.<\/p>\n Those competing in series 19 will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of magician Harry Moulding who won the show last year. As always, the judges and hosts will have the special power of the golden buzzer, which can give their favourite acts an instant ticket to the live semi-finals.<\/p>\n Teasing what viewers can expect from the 2026 series, head judge Simon Cowell said: “I think it’s got all the makings of a great year. And credit to the team. They really, really work hard and they work hard all year long to make it as good as possible.<\/p>\n “We always try and make it better than the year before. That’s always our goal. I certainly think this series is going to be up there amongst some of the greatest.” Here’s everything you need to know about season 19.<\/p>\n When does Britain’s Got Talent start? Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell (Image: ITV)<\/p>\n BGT will kick off on Saturday, February 21 at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.<\/p>\n The first episode is one hour and 25 minutes long.<\/p>\n Who is on the BGT judging panel?<\/p>\n As usual Simon Cowel, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon return to the show, alongside KSI who has taken over the role from Bruno Tonioli<\/a> who stepped down after the last season.<\/p>\n Speaking about what kind of judge KSI is, who featured as a guest judge last year, Amanda said: “Aside from his no-nonsense approach he\u2019s bringing a new approach to the show.<\/p>\n “He looks at everything through a social media lens and what will work and won\u2019t work on TikTok. That is what we pride ourselves on at Britain’s Got Talent, always moving with the times and reinventing the show or bits of the show over the last 19 years, which is why I think it’s succeeded and worked for so long.<\/p>\n Amanda Holden on Britain’s Got Talent(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n “Having KSI on the end is a stroke of genius. I just love him. He’s got great energy. He’s up for stuff. KSI and I socialise together; it\u2019s just heaven on a stick behind the scenes.”<\/p>\n The new season will also see Stacey Solomon<\/a> step in for a day to cover for Simon Cowell. Speaking about Stacey being on the show, host Ant said: “Stacey knows exactly what it’s like to stand on this stage, audition and be judged for a show like this, because she did the very same on The X Factor<\/a>.<\/p>\n “So it was nice for her to sit there in the judge’s chair and put herself in the shoes of every auditionee who walked on stage. She had a lot of empathy with them, which is good. It was nice to see her up there.”<\/p>\n Who is hosting BGT? Ant & Dec will once again host Britain’s Got Talent (Image: ITV)<\/p>\n As usual, Ant and Dec return to presenter BGT. On what to expect from series 19, Ant said: “Like we always say, expect the unexpected! We never know who’s going to walk around that corner when we’re on the side of the stage, and the viewers never know who’s going to walk on stage when you’re watching on telly.”<\/p>\n![\"Britain's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1_britains_got_talent_sr19_embargoed_8pm_16_feb_2026_03.jpg\")
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