Simon Cowell is planning Christmas Britain's Got Talent special 'to help boost ITV ratings' over the festive period
Simon Cowell is planning a Christmas Britain's Got Talent special to help boost ITV ratings over the festive period.
The show promises to be a 'Christmas celebration' that will feature some of the 'greats of BGT', with former acts Susan Boyle and Paul Potts reportedly being lined up to take part.
Talent show mogul Simon, 60, will also feature on the upcoming show if he manages to recover from his breaking his back in time.
New venture: Simon Cowell is planning a Christmas Britain's Got Talent special to help boost ITV ratings over the festive period
The show will reportedly be pre-recorded next month after the BGT final and talent bookers are already approaching former acts from the popular show to take part.
A source told The Sun: 'Simon has not done Christmas before and ITV jumped at the chance to put Britain's Got Talent at the very heart of their festive schedule.
'It does huge ratings, so why not unleash it at a different time of year to mix things up a bit.
TV gold: The show will be pre-recorded next month after the BGT final and talent bookers are already approaching former acts from the popular show to take part
'The show will be a jam-packed full of Christmas cheer and music. It will not be a competition as such but a celebration of the show.'
The source added: 'It would be great if Simon could make it but if not, he has an able deputy.'
It is hoped that the show could bring in higher TV ratings for ITV, as the BBC usually dominates over the festive period.
Singing sensations: The show promises to be a 'Christmas celebration' that will feature some of the 'greats of BGT', with rumoured acts Susan Boyle and Paul Potts reportedly taking part
Simon was forced to pull out the current BGT series after breaking his back in a electric bike accident in Malibu, and after a six-hour operation has been recovering at home.
The music mogul has insisted producers have made the show the best it can be despite social distancing now being in place - and has even hinted he will indeed appear at the live final in October, despite being on bed rest.
Asked ahead of the show's semi-finals whether he worried the 2020 series was a right off, he said: 'Yeah, for a moment! But then I thought, 'Where there's a will, there's a way!'
Tough times: Simon was forced to pull out the current BGT series after breaking his back in a electric bike accident in Malibu, and after a six-hour operation has been recovering at home
'I just thought that if we can talk to each other all over the world on something like Zoom then there must be a way for us to do the live shows.'
Simon underwent emergency surgery in America after the accident in Los Angeles earlier this month, and has been recovering after having a metal rod installed in his back.
The BGT semi-finals, which had been due to be held in May, are now taking place over five, nail-biting – and pre-recorded - episodes. The final will then take place live in October.
As usual, Ant and Dec are hosting the semi-finals whilst Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams are joining stand in Ashley Banjo at the judges' desk.
Eight contestants will perform in each semi-final and the judges will choose one act to go through. The second finalist will then be chosen via public vote when the episode airs.
With safety concerns paramount, some acts will take part remotely via video link whilst others will perform in the TV studio – with the virtual audiences' reactions then beamed into the studio on a giant screen.
The series will then culminate with the live final, in October, where one act will triumph as Britain's Got Talent 2020 Champion and win the life-changing £250,000 prize plus a coveted role on The Royal Variety Performance.
Plans: The BGT semi-finals, which had been due to be held in May, is taking place over five, nail-biting – and pre-recorded - episodes. The final will then take place live in October