Covid halts ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent 2021

Fremantle’s long-running competition format Britain’s Got Talent

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has pulled this year’s season of competition format Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK is forging ahead with its vaccination programme, innoculating more than 500,000 people on Saturday alone. But the country remains under strict lockdown regulations as another 587 deaths and 21,088 new cases were recorded on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 106,158.

With regional auditions and theatre audiences impossible for the foreseeable future, the channel made the decision to pull the show for 2021 and return it in 2022.

The series is produced by Fremantle-owned Thames and head judge Simon Cowell’s production company Syco.

In a statement, ITV said: “With our absolute priority of safeguarding the well-being and health of every person involved in the programme from judges, hosts and contestants to all of the crew and audience, the decision has been made to – unfortunately – move the record and broadcast of the 15th season of Britain’s Got Talent to 2022.

“BGT is known for its diversity of talent with big dance groups, wonderful choirs and lavish orchestras at its heart, and it has become clear that not only is it not possible to film auditions with these types of acts in a secure way but also that they are not able to adequately rehearse and prepare safely.

“Safety has to come first and, as a result, the recording of the show can’t currently go ahead as planned.”

BGT is the latest mainstay of ITV’s schedule to fall foul of the pandemic, following the cancellation of ITV2’s relationship format Love Island last year.