ITV Britain’s Got Talent dealt crushing blow as new series sees huge decline in ratings and prompts ‘axe’ fears
Britain’s Got Talent has suffered its worst ever viewing figures, with the ITV talent competition’s audience continuing to shrink dramatically.
Saturday evening’s second episode of the current series attracted approximately 2.9 million viewers, representing a decline of 100,000 from the previous week’s premiere.
That opening instalment had already set an unwanted record as the programme’s least-watched launch in its history, managing to draw just 3 million people.
The figures mark a stark contrast to the show’s heyday, when audiences of around 10 million regularly tuned in during its early years on air.
Britain’s Got Talent has suffered a huge ratings blow
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ITV
After nearly two decades of broadcasting, the talent competition now finds itself struggling to maintain its once-dominant position in the Saturday night television landscape.
The programme’s struggles were further highlighted by its failure to top the ratings on Saturday night.
BBC One’s Michael McIntyre’s Big Show proved the more popular choice among viewers, securing an audience of 3.5 million.
Meanwhile, Gladiators matched Britain’s Got Talent’s figures with 3 million people watching.
Britain’s Got Talent returned for a new series recently
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ITV
The decline has prompted serious questions about whether the show can survive beyond its current run.
Having first appeared on screens almost twenty years ago, the programme once commanded enormous audiences and dominated weekend viewing.
Those days now appear firmly in the past, with the competition facing an uncertain future as it continues to haemorrhage viewers.
ITV has been approached for comment regarding the programme’s prospects.
Simon Cowell has fronted Britain’s Got Talent for almost two decades
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PABetting firms have already begun taking wagers on the show’s potential demise.
Ladbrokes is currently offering odds of just 2/1 that Britain’s Got Talent will be axed once the present series concludes.
Nicola McGeady, a spokesperson for the bookmaker, suggested the programme’s glory days are behind it.
“Gone are the days when Britain’s Got Talent was raking in mammoth viewing figures,” she said.
Britain’s Got Talent judges 2026 with presenters Ant and Dec | GETTY
“As the numbers fall, so do the odds and we are now questioning the show’s future.”
The betting market’s assessment reflects broader industry concerns about whether the format can recover from its current slump.
With audiences having dwindled from peak figures of 10 million to barely 3 million, the show’s commercial viability appears increasingly precarious.
Despite the concerning viewership numbers, Saturday’s broadcast still delivered memorable television moments.
KSI provided one of the episode’s highlights when he leapt onto the judges’ desk to award his Golden Buzzer to Rafferty Coope, a 16-year-old performer who describes himself as a musical magician.
The teenager’s act combined card tricks with piano playing, culminating in a rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ that left the panel visibly stunned.
Amanda Holden declared: “We have never ever seen anything like that!”
Fellow judge Alesha Dixon praised the young performer as being “full of light” before KSI dramatically interrupted proceedings.
Golden confetti showered the stage as Rafferty celebrated his direct passage to the live finals, with viewers reportedly moved to tears by the emotional scenes.
