Britain's Got Talent Hits Lowest Final Viewership Since 2007 Amid Format Changes

The 18th series of Britain's Got Talent concluded with magician Harry Moulding winning the £250,000 prize and a place at the Royal Variety Performance, though the live final recorded the show's lowest viewership since its 2007 launch, with 4.1 million tuning in, down by a million from the previous year. Despite praise for Harry's performance, the series faced backlash over several issues, including viewers condemning the judges' choice of wildcard act, ABBA tribute duo Han and Fran, which was labeled the 'worst ever' decision by many fans on social media. The show's format changed this year with live semi-finals spread weekly to build sustained excitement, but this longer season drew mixed reactions, with some fans nostalgic for earlier seasons featuring surprise acts like Susan Boyle. Additionally, a live broadcasting blunder occurred when judge Bruno Tonioli swore on air before the 9pm watershed, prompting an on-air apology from host Declan Donnelly and sparking divided viewer reactions ranging from calls for his removal to amusement. These factors, combined with ongoing criticisms about the show's predictability and perceived overproduction, suggest challenges in maintaining audience engagement for this long-running talent competition.