Britain's Got Talent (BGT) has already got off to an exciting start with golden buzzer acts.
Each of the judges — Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Bruno Tonioli and stand-in KSI — as well as presenters Ant and Dec get to select a golden buzzer act each (although Ant and Dec choose theirs together!).
When the judges hit the huge giant golden buzzer, it automatically guarantees the contestant will perform in the live semi-finals of BGT in the months to come.
Of course the golden buzzer act is in with a good chance of winning the reality series. The winner of Britain's Got Talent banks £250,000 and the enviable spot performing on stage for King Charles at the Royal Variety Performance 2025. Singer Sydney Christmas, who won the 2024 series of the show, was Holden's golden buzzer act.
Dixon confessed the judges give the golden buzzers out freely now. She said on Loose Women in February: "We give them out like ice cream these days - you have a buzzer! You have a buzzer! The great thing is, we're all into different things, we love different things. I never regret it — I'm the kind of person, if I'm sitting there thinking about whether to press it, I choose not to. I only press it when my heart just feels alive and I'm like I've just got to do it."
So far, there have been two golden buzzer acts selected for the live semi-finals.
Vinnie McKee
Singer Vinnie McKee was the first to receive the golden buzzer in BGT's launch show after capturing the attention of Cowell.
The holiday park entertainer, from Glasgow, performed The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) to his biggest audience at Blackpool, with all the celebrity judges watching.
Music mogul Cowell admitted he was left "speechless" by McKee's performance on stage, prompting him to press the golden buzzer — as seen in the video below.
Watch Vinnie McKee's performance here
"That's what it's all about," Cowell told him after pressing the button.
Backstage, McKee told Ant and Dec: "I don't even know what to say... That's mad [about being put through to the live shows]. Things like this don't happen to people like me. So I was like?!"
Ant affectionately touched him on the shoulder and told him: "Things like that do happen to people like you when they are that talented."
Will Burns
Impressionist Will Burns was the second golden buzzer act of the launch show after getting the attention of Ant and Dec. Burns, from Leeds, put together a hilarious sketch of impressions, including one of Dec's famous moment in Byker Grove when his character PJ is blinded by a paintball gun and says: "I cannot see man."
The voice act, 24, also pulled off funny impressions of the voices behind The X Factor, Celebrity Big Brother and Gogglebox. Notably, the TV personality perfected his impression of beloved animal historian David Attenborough — as seen in the video below.
Watch Will Burns' performance here
Music mogul Cowell said the Geordie duo would be "smug" after choosing the impressionist as their golden buzzer act because he has a good chance of winning the series.
Burns might be the biggest fan of Britain's Got Talent as he told judges that he had the show-themed birthday parties and even a BGT room with a Cowell bobble head.
Backstage, he later told Ant and Dec: "I can't believe what's just happened. That should not have happened! Best day of my entire life. I'll try not to let you down."
Britain's Got Talent continues on Saturday at 7pm on ITVX.
