Britain’s Got Talent marred by drama as fans call for show to be axed

Sydnie Christmas was crowned the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2024 during Sunday night’s nail-biting final.

But despite head judge Simon Cowell claiming it was the best he’s ever seen, fans of the show seemed to think differently, with bookies’ claiming it could be axed. 

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.

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.’

The Britain’s Got Talent final slumped to its lowest ever ratings as 5.2 million tuned in compared to 5.3 million last year.

At the peak of its success a huge 16.3million fans tuned in to watch Diversity win the 2009 final over Susan Boyle. 

Fans of Britain’s Got Talent reacted furiously online after discovering that Sydnie had already enjoyed a career in music. 

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.’

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!’

Elsewhere, Amanda Holden defended the diversity of Britain’s Got Talent during the final on Sunday evening. 

The show has 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. 

And during the final Amanda defended the show’s diversity as she thanked dance duo Afronita and Abigail for coming from Ghana to take part in the competition. 

After the pair’s energetic performance the judge gushed: ‘I am in awe of both of you. Thank you so much for coming all this way. 

‘This is a global show and we welcome everybody on it and you were amazing.’

While Sydnie Christmas won the show after her beautiful performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, this year’s final also featured several international acts. 

Ssaulabi Performance Troupe are a Taekwondo group from South Korea while double-dutch group Haribow are from Japan. 

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’.

‘Heard Amanda say last night this show is global so why isn’t it called The Globes got talent’; ‘No Amanda the show is NOT global. It’s BRITAIN’s Got Talent’.

‘If its a “global competition” Amanda, why’s it call BRITAIN’S Got Talent? #BGT’.

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.’

‘If someone lives in the UK but is from elsewhere, then obviously I get that they may audition, but what on earth is the point of acts that fly in especially to audition?’ 

‘Disappointed to see so many acts scouted from other countries on BGT. Kind of undermines the essence of BGT &misses the point. Maybe no one applied this year.’

‘All the acts have been amazing but hope they not taking place of UK talent.’

A Britain’s Got Talent finalist was injured during Sunday night’s last show and had to limp off stage. 

Ssaulabi Performance Troupe’s high-flying act made it to the final but one of the members suffered a mishap on stage.

They were fighting out against ten other acts for the £250,000 prize and a chance to perform at the Royal Variety Show – but in the end lost out to singer Sydnie Christmas. 

The Korean martial arts experts’ routine ended abruptly for one member when they seemed to land poorly after executing an impressive somersault. 

They quickly exited the stage after hobbling to the back and left the rest of the group to finish the performance.

It came after two of the performers were flung through the air and were planning to high kick wooden blocks as they were launched up.

However one move didn’t go to plan with them colliding in the middle, before one teammates landed badly on their foot.

In her feedback judge Alesha Dixon acknowledged the mishap saying she hoped the member was OK.

Fans reacted quickly to the moment as one said: ‘Did one of the performers just break their foot looked serious #bgtfinal.’

Another second added: ‘This is ever so cool but did I just see mateyboi break his foot and crawl off? That’s gotta hurt #bgtfinal’

Meanwhile, Amanda has a history of picking racy ensembles for the family show with outraged viewers filing Ofcom complaints in the past and this year has been no different.  

The judge saved the best to last as she debuted her riskiest outfit to date in a shaped silver corset dress. 

She went braless as she showcased her ample cleavage in the carefully positioned dress which featured an armour-like bodice. 

The bottom half of the dress then extended into a sheer silver mesh skirt as she waved to the audience. 

Taking to Instagram with some stunning shots as she lay by the pool in the ensemble, Amanda wrote: ‘Finish with a bang @bgt 7:30pm @itv‘.

Fans took to Twitter to share their opinions on her racy outfit choice as they called it inappropriate for a family show.  

They penned: ‘Considering it’s a family show… Amanda Holden wears the most inappropriate outfits!!’; ‘Wtf is Amanda wearing? #bgt #britainsgottalent #bgtfinal’.

‘I have to ask… Wtf is Amanda Holden wearing and how does it stay up?’; ‘Amanda should just give it up and go topless’.

‘I hope Amanda Holden is ok – she is dressed for open-heart surgery’; ‘#BGT it’s just a matter of time and camera angle until Amanda shows a nipple….’

Meanwhile Alesha Dixon left fans perplexed after her outfit choice for the Britain’s Got Talent final.

The judge, 45, was shining as she opted for a one shoulder reflective scarlet red dress. 

Featuring a high leg slit, the star beamed in the ensemble while she styled her hair in a long black twist braid. 

However, fans were left in hysterics at her outfit as they joked it resembled a famous British chocolate, the Quality Street. 

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, they shared pictures of the iconic sweet as they likened Alesha’s dress to the wrapper of a strawberry cream. 

They joked: ‘Alesha reminding me I have to buy some Quality Streets’; ‘Has everyone already said Alesha’s dress looks like a Quality Street wrapper?’

‘Alesha Dixon came as a Quality Street then’; ‘Is it me or is Alesha Dixon wearing a Quality Street wrapper?’

‘#BGT think Alesha and Amanda are going through the whole Quality Street tin. Tonight it’s the red one’.

‘Alesha dress hideous looks like a quality street wrapper’; ‘Alesha Dixon wearing a dress made from the leftover Quality Street wrappers’.