Britain’s Got Talent is no longer the ratings banker it once was.
Simon Cowell’s star format is losing its shine after the latest season bowed out with 5.3M viewers, the lowest-rated finale in the ITV show’s 16-year history.
The figure does not include catch-up or online viewing and is perhaps unsurprising in an era when live television audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented by streaming.
Last year’s BGT final was watched by 6M viewers, while the 2020 curtain closer managed 5.9M despite being heavily delayed by the pandemic, according to Barb figures from overnights.tv.
At the height of its powers, Britain’s Got Talent‘s 2009 final was watched by an audience of 18.5M in the UK as Susan Boyle was unexpectedly beaten by dance troupe Diversity.