Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden have come under fire from angry Britain's Got Talent viewers who have accused the judging pair of 'sabotaging' an act during Monday's first semi final.
After the audition episodes of the ITV show's new series came to an end at the weekend, all eyes were on London's Eventim Apollo as this year's live shows began. Unlike two years ago, when Covid restrictions forced the semis to be pushed back by months, everything on BGT has run to schedule this year.
And, although the identity of most of this year's semi final acts, other than the Golden Buzzers, are still under wraps, the first bunch stepped onto the big stage last night in a bid to impress both the judges and Britain's Got Talent viewers at home. One of the most talked about and, quite frankly, terrifying acts from the auditions were The Witches.
READ MORE: Amanda Holden faced with tough BGT decision ahead of semi finals
With an act as creepy as their evil disguises, they got everyone talking when they first performed for the judges at the London Palladium earlier this year and provoked exactly the same reaction on Monday. However, viewers have complained that Alesha and Amanda took their apparent fear of The Witches' semi final performance too far as they both fled the panel before it had finished.
The two judges' swift exit came as Amanda was instructed to reach inside a box and, after a lot of hesitation she did but then screamed and ran off, with Alesha swiftly following upon realising there was a rat inside. Alesha and Amanda's walk off proved to be a big distraction, so much so that some viewers have said they ruined the act.
One livid fan took to Twitter to react: "f I was The Witches I’d be so pi**ed off, act totally sabotaged by the judges" with another posting: "Why do they always make it about themselves?" Others saw the funny side of things, with a third declaring the moment 'TV gold' but another critic fired back: "All 4 of them should be ashamed just sitting in the chairs taking the p**s out of it absolutely disgusting behaviour they are grown adults not children."
After all of the fuss the act caused, The Witches didn't make it through their heat, with the two contestants to advance through to Sunday's final being Maxwell Thorpe and Jamie Leahey.
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