The fifteenth series of British talent competition programme Britain's Got Talent was broadcast on ITV, from 16 April 2022 to 5 June 2022. Filming of the series was originally planned for 2021, but with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom having led to strict government restrictions on television production, many of the production team, including Simon Cowell, felt it would be wiser to postpone filming until conditions improved. Filming eventually began in January 2022, with Cowell making his return as a judge for the programme following his accident during the previous series.
The fifteenth series was won by stand-up comedian Axel Blake, with ventriloquist Jamie Leahey finishing in second place, and singer Tom Ball placing third. During its broadcast, the series averaged around 6.38 million viewers.
Series overview The fifteenth series was planned for production and broadcast in 2021, yet ITV, Thames and Syco Entertainment were concerned on how to safely conduct filming in the midst of new Government restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. After initially deciding to postpone production until later in the year, all involved parties agreed that they would not produce a new series until the following year, when Government restrictions would be eased and conditions surrounding the pandemic would be favourable for large-scale television production. Auditions were filmed at the London Palladium in January 2022, with Cowell returning after his bicycle accident during the previous series. The deliberations stage took place inside the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Hotel during February 2022, with Cowell assisting the other three judges remotely from his London house due to him contracting COVID-19.https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/19916853.simon-cowell-misses-britains-got-talent-auditions-positive-covid-test/
Judges' Wildcard Finalist | Golden Buzzer Audition
ParticipantAge(s) GenrePerformance TypeSemi-finalFinished 5 Star Boys 10–12 Dance Contemporary Dance Group 4 Finalist Amber and the Dancing Collies 25 Animals Dog Act 2 Finalist Andrew Basso 36 Danger Escape Artist 2 Eliminated Aneeshwar Kunchala 7 Variety Poet 5 Finalist Axel Blake 33 Comedy Stand Up Comedian 5 Winner Ben Nickless 40 Comedy Impressionist 2 Finalist Born to Perform 14–24 Dance Dance Group 1 Eliminated Brian & Krysstal 71 & 58 Comedy / Music Comic Music Duo 5 Eliminated Dame Nation 31–57 Singing Pantomime Vocal Group 4 Eliminated Dane Bates Collective 12–27 Dance Contemporary Dance Group 3 Eliminated Dante Marvin 13 Comedy / Singing Comic Singer 2 Eliminated Eva Abley 14 Comedy Stand Up Comedian 3 Finalist Flintz and T4ylor 22 & 17 Singing / Music Rapper & Pianist 2 Finalist IMD Legion 11–35 Dance Street Dance Group 5 Eliminated Immi Davis 9 Singing Singer 3 Eliminated Jamie Leahey 13 Comedy Ventriloquist 1 Runner-Up Junwoo 23 Magic Magician 1 Eliminated Keiichi Iwasaki 49 Magic Magician 3 Eliminated Les Sancho 24–31 Dance Latin & Hip Hop Dance Group 3 Eliminated London Community Gospel Choir 28–54 Singing Gospel Choir 1 Eliminated Loren Allred 32 Singing Singer 4 Finalist Mary P 29 Singing Mary Poppins Impersonator 4 Eliminated Matricks Illusion 27 & 29 Magic Quick Change Group 5 Eliminated Maxwell Thorpe 32 Singing Opera Singer 1 Finalist Mel Day 77 Singing Singer 1 Eliminated Nick Edwards 35 Singing / Music Singer & Guitarist 5 Eliminated Ranger Chris 41 Dance Dinosaur Dance Group 2 Eliminated Ryland Petty 9 Magic Magician 2 Eliminated Scooter Boys 6–10 Danger Scooter Stunt Team 5 Eliminated Stefano Paolini 45 Comedy Stand Up Comedian 4 Eliminated Suzi Wild 34 Comedy Impressionist 1 Eliminated The Dots 32–38 Comedy / Singing Comic Vocal Trio 3 Eliminated The Freaks 10–36 Acrobatics Acrobatic Group 3 Eliminated The Frontline Singers 24–62 Singing Vocal Group 4 Eliminated The Phantom 25 Magic Magician 4 Eliminated The Witches 17–31 Magic Horror Magician 1 Eliminated Titan the Robot 34 Comedy Comedian 4 Eliminated Tom Ball 23 Singing Singer 3 Third place Voices of Armed Forces Children Choir 6–18 Singing Choir 2 Eliminated Welsh of the West End 24–34 Singing Vocal Group 5 Eliminated
Semi-finals summary Buzzed out | Judges' vote | |
Semi-final 1 (30 May) Guest performers: Moulin Rouge! The Musical ("Welcome to the Moulin Rouge"/"Backstage Romance") Semi-Finalist OrderPerformance TypeBuzzes and judges' votesPercentageFinished Mel Day 1Singer3.9%6th - Eliminated Born to Perform 2Dance Group 10.6%4th - Eliminated Suzi Wild 3Impressionist 3.5%7th - Eliminated London Community Gospel Choir 4Gospel Choir 2.8%8th - Eliminated The Witches 5Horror Magician9.3%5th - Eliminated Jamie Leahey 6Ventriloquist26.1%2nd (Judges' Vote tied – Won on Public Vote) Junwoo 7Magician10.8%3rd (Judges' Vote tied – Lost on Public Vote) Maxwell Thorpe 8Opera Singer 33.0%1st (Won Public Vote)
Semi-final 2 (31 May) Guest Performers: Back to the Future: The Musical (with Roger Bart) ("The Power of Love"/"It Works")
Semi-Finalist OrderPerformance TypeBuzzes and judges' votesPercentageFinished Amber and the Dancing Collies 1Dog Act15.8%2nd (Lost Judges' Vote) Voices of Armed Forces Children Choir 2Choir 12.0%5th - Eliminated Ryland Petty 3Magician 12.4%4th - Eliminated Dante Marvin 4Comic Singer 6.9%6th - Eliminated Flintz and T4ylor 5Rapper & Pianist15.7%3rd (Won Judges' Vote) Ranger Chris 6Dinosaur Dance Group3.8%7th - Eliminated Ben Nickless 7Impressionist30.4%1st (Won Public Vote) Andrew Basso 8Escape Artist 3.0%8th - Eliminated Amber & Her Dancing Collies were later sent through to the final as the judges' wildcard.
Semi-final 3 (1 June) Guest performers: Diversity Semi-Finalist OrderPerformance TypeBuzzes and judges' votesPercentageFinishedLes Sancho 1Latin & Hip Hop Dance Group0.9%8th - EliminatedImmi Davis 2Singer 17.0%4th - EliminatedThe Freaks 3Acrobatic Group 7.1%5th - Eliminated Dane Bates Collective 4Contemporary Dance Group 5.6%6th - EliminatedEva Abley 5Stand Up Comedian20.1%3rd (Won Judges' Vote)The Dots 6Comic Vocal Trio1.1%7th - EliminatedKeiichi Iwasaki 7Magician22.0% 2nd (Lost Judges' Vote)Tom Ball 8Singer 26.2% 1st (Won Public Vote) Due to the majority vote for Eva Abley, Cowell's voting intention was not revealed.
Semi-final 4 (2 June) Guest performers: Emeli Sandé and Kseniya Simonova ("Brighter Days") Semi-Finalist OrderPerformance TypeBuzzes and judges' votesPercentageFinished Dame Nation 1Pantomime Vocal Group2.8%8th - Eliminated 5 Star Boys 2Contemporary Dance Group 24.5%2nd (Won Judges' Vote)The Frontline Singers 3Vocal Group 12.9%4th - Eliminated Mary P 4Mary Poppins Impersonator 10.6%5th - EliminatedThe Phantom 5Illusionist14.5% 3rd (Lost Judges' Vote)Stefano Paolini 6Stand Up Comedian3.0%7th - EliminatedTitan The Robot 7Stand Up Comedian5.4%6th - EliminatedLoren Allred 8Singer 26.3% 1st (Won Public Vote) Cowell requested his X was removed after the act during his comments. Cowell did not cast his vote due to the majority support for 5 Star Boys from the other judges, but admitted that his voting intention would have been for this semi-finalist.
Semi-final 5 (3 June) Guest performers: Jon Courtenay, Colin Thackery, D-Day Darlings and D-Day Juniors Semi-FinalistOrderPerformance TypeBuzzes and judges' votesPercentageFinishedMatricks Illusion1Quick Change Group1.3%8th - EliminatedScooter Boys2Scooter Stunt Team12.3%4th - EliminatedWelsh of the West End3Vocal Group13.4%3rd (Lost Judges' Vote)Aneeshwar Kunchala4Poet14.0%2nd (Won Judges' Vote)Brian & Krysstal5Comic Music Duo2.1%7th - Eliminated IMD Legion6Street Dance Group8.5%6th - Eliminated Nick Edwards7Singer & Guitarist9.9%5th - Eliminated Axel Blake8Stand Up Comedian38.5%1st (Won Public Vote)
Cowell did not cast his vote due to the majority support for Aneeshwar Kunchala from the other judges; he stated that he would have wanted to see both Kunchala and Welsh of the West End in the final, implying that he would have tried to take the result to the public vote if he had been asked earlier.
Final (5 June) Guest performers: Sister Act The Musical ("Raise Your Voice")
Finalist Order Performance Type Percentage Finished Jamie Leahey 1Ventriloquist14.7% 2nd Amber and the Dancing Collies 2Dog Act3.2% 10th 5 Star Boys 3Contemporary Dance Group2.5% 11th Flintz and T4ylor 4Rapper & Pianist8.3% 6th Aneeshwar Kunchala 5Poet6.0% 7th Eva Abley 6Stand Up Comedian8.4% 5th Tom Ball 7Singer14.2% 3rd Ben Nickless 8Impressionist5.7% 8th Loren Allred 9Singer3.3% 9th Axel Blake 10Stand Up Comedian19.7% 1st Maxwell Thorpe 11Opera Singer14.0% 4th
Ratings
EpisodeAir date Total viewers(millions) ITVWeekly rank Auditions 1 8.31 2 Auditions 2 6.94 3 Auditions 3 7.03 4 Auditions 4 7.29 1 Auditions 5 6.93 1 Auditions 6 6.55 1 Auditions 7 7.00 1 Auditions 8 5.84 1 Semi-Final 1 5.89 2 Semi-Final 2 5.46 3 Semi-Final 3 5.06 9 Semi-Final 4 4.70 11 Semi-Final 5 5.23 6 Final 7.07 1
References