Still eminently watchable and very well put together even if many scenarios (like the dreadful Mum and Dad and the terrible child drummer) look staged.

I just think it is UTTERLY OBSCENE (I'm angry!) that they can allow 10 year olds to participate after what happened to Holly Steele and Susan Boyle in the last serious. How can a 10 year old consent to subject themselves to so much pressure which has been demonstrated to be potentially harmful to mental health?

I've even read that they are going to have a 4 year old in this series!

I won't be watching.

My understanding is that the Holly Steele breaking down on stage thing was mostly a set up; the same way they set up various controversies in X Factor. Without such things the public would soon lose interest. The fact that people still talk about the Holly Steele incident shows that it works.

Also if you look back at Holly's audition you can see that when Simon hovers his hand dramatically over the red buzzer she turns to him and they exchange nods, then she starts to sing.

It's all about stage managing the audience. Even people who turn off continue to talk about the show, keeping it in the headlines.

How could anybody know in advance how Susan Boyle would cope? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but her own personal problems were her own personal problems, unrelated to any other contestants.

Can't abide Cowell. He has become 'Mr ITV' and in my view is a terrible virus who is polluting not only our airwaves (or digiwaves if there is such a thing) but is polluting the hearts, minds and souls of his many disciples. It's the theatre of the sewer. I would sooner eat a turd sandwich.

I tend to keep clear of Subway though.

My understanding is that the Holly Steele breaking down on stage thing was mostly a set up; the same way they set up various controversies in X Factor. Without such things the public would soon lose interest. The fact that people still talk about the Holly Steele incident shows that it works.


So they 'encouraged' a 10 year old child to break down on national tv in order to boost ratings?

Sick.

How could anybody know in advance how Susan Boyle would cope?

Well they know now that that program can cause vulnerable participants, thrust into the spotlight, massive psychological stresses and possible harm.

Therefore, to continue to exploit pre-pubescent children in this manner is beyond sick.

I won't be watching, because I don't support the abuse of children.

And, by the way, it's outrageous that supposed child protection lobby groups such as the NSPCC don't get involved in clear exploitation like this. The fact that they don't just reveals them to be what they truly are.

I think the only person to have had a genuine breakdown due to BGT was Susan Boyle, so to use that as an excuse to deny younger people an opportunity is a bit ridiculous.

I know a boy called Daniel who was 13 when he auditioned and received a yes and high praise from all three judges. Amanda Holden told him he could go on to win the show, but then they rejected him when deciding who to put through to the next round. He was a bit upset at the time but he got over it and was just pleased he'd had a chance to show what he could do. Kids are generally tough and able to cope with competition better than adults are. Life doesn't always give us what we want, and it's important to understand.

My opinion is that such competitions need judges who can be more balanced and professional. One of the worst things Amanda Holden did was on last years BGT when she told a boy named Callum that if he didn't make it to the final they would all have her to answer to. Moments later she had to decide between him and another act, and she rejected him. He handled that okay and was on the TV next morning quite happy with his performances. I've no problem with Amanda Holden sending him home, but she shouldn't build people up so highly when she can't follow her words through properly.

Both Daniel and Callum received huge support and a major boost to their talents through TV exposure. And ten year old Charlie Green (now 12) who was tipped to win it but was sent home by Pierce who preferred a couple of topless karate wannabes (whatever happened to Strike?) has just signed a new recording contract.

I think to suggest that BGT abuses children is nonsense. I googled Hollie Steele and found her site which gave me some insight into how BGT effected her.

www.holliesteelmusic.com/

Of course, Hollie was asked about the semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent when she forgot the words to Edelweiss. She had been made nervous before the performance by somebody telling her that 50 million people would be watching - in fact the true figure was nearer 15 million. Nina spoke of how she ran down to “rescue” Hollie. Nina was asked if she thought that it would be appropriate to raise the age limit to 18 years for contestants. Nina pointed out, quite rightly, that children wouldn’t perform if they didn’t want to. She emphasised that Hollie got upset because she went wrong, not because she didn’t want to sing.

Yea, they wouldn't perform if they didn't want to, we'll take mom's word for that. We could also make exactly the same argument for teenage or even preteen bikini models. Isn't the point about what the effect it will have on them and whether or not they are being exploited?

Only one contestant who reached the final stages had their mind shattered? Well no worries about little Holly then.

Perhaps I'm being harsh and I don't want to come across as judging other people's viewing moralities but I find it distasteful and it is freaking obscene that a man can go to prison for having a topless picture of sam fox taken in the 80's and yet it isn't even an issue that 10 year olds can be exposed to highly stressful environments, competing against mainly adults, all in order that other adults can make money.

I didn't know Britain's Got Talent had started again until a mate told me he'd seen it. Doesn't sound like I missed much. Diversity will be a hard act to follow.

Judging by the audience reaction to this bloke,cheesy entertainment rules the roost.Nothing in it for Simon and you can tell by his reaction.





And my mobile phone video of Kevin Cruise that i put on You Tube back in October last year increased its views by over 100% since Saturday.

You have to hand it to Cowell..the Hughie Green of his era but he's taken the talent quest to a whole new level.

I can't really see kids being harmed no matter what age they are. Kids are far more resilient than we think. They burst into tears all the time !

I think Susan Boyle needs watching though. She isn't really the type of person to really cope with the pressure of stardom and the downside but at least she is finacially taken care of ( as long as some shyster doesn't get a hold of her).

I was glad she cancelled her visit to Oz to appear on the atrocious local TV awards-The Logies. She needs to be completey taken care of all the time.

I do find it depressing how the lazy revamping of an old format is routinely described as 'taking it to a whole other level'. It's a revamp, plain and simple, with the shamelessly over-amplified sound of an audience that would have seemed OTT at Nuremberg. Then again, it's been a long time coming...

Oscar Wilde once pointed out: "The public have always, and in every age, been badly brought up. They are continually asking Art to be popular, to please their want of taste, to flatter their absurd vanity, to tell them what they have been told before, to show them what they ought to be tired of seeing, to amuse them when they feel heavy after eating too much, and to distract their thoughts when they are wearied of their own stupidity. Now Art should never try to be popular. The public should try to make itself artistic". Thus Oscar predicted ITV, and Cowell, a long time in advance. Beat that, Vince Cable. Pity Simon's mind (unlike that of those dullards Aristotle, Heidegger or Wittgenstein) is 'too active' to pause to read books, because even he might learn a bit of humility from such texts.

well of course it is pure trash Prunella...

the late media mogul Kery Packer who had an excellent eye for buying the trashiest TV shows to make him a billion said "never underestimate the bad taste of the general publc"

veritas wrote:
well of course it is pure trash Prunella...

the late media mogul Kery Packer who had an excellent eye for buying the trashiest TV shows to make him a billion said "never underestimate the bad taste of the general publc"

Ha ha, yes! Old Packer scared me to death!