Holden said being in the town ‘where they’ve broken so many amazing, wonderful acts over the years’ felt like ‘an honour’.
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has declared that Blackpool is the “future” of the show’s auditions, suggesting that the historic seaside town could permanently replace London as the primary location for discovering new talent.
The long-running ITV talent show is set to return for its 18th series this Saturday, with Holden, 54, once again joining the judges’ panel alongside Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, and special guest judge KSI.
Holden, who has been a part of the show since its inception in 2007, was full of praise for Blackpool and its enthusiastic audiences.
“They were super warm and brilliantly up for it,” she said. “Very loud, and really, the show felt sort of appreciated and wanted up there. And I think that’s our core audience. That’s the heartland of a talent show and of ITV, and you just go, ‘God, this is just brilliant.’”
‘Blackpool is the future’
Holden suggested that the show might not return to London for auditions in the future, stating:
“I honestly think we won’t go back to London after that. I think we’ll be in Blackpool the whole time.”
Reflecting on Blackpool’s long history in British entertainment, Holden acknowledged its past struggles while celebrating its enduring cultural significance.
“I feel bad for Blackpool because it’s faded glory, isn’t it? Up there. But in its day, when I was married to Les [Dennis], he’d be doing shows at the end of the pier or whatever… or the people that I’ve met, who have been around for a long time in this industry, all honed their acts in the working men’s clubs in the north with really hard audiences to please.”
The Heart FM presenter added: “If you can make it there, you can literally make it anywhere. Forget New York—if you can do it in the north, you’ve cracked it. Because when they like you, they really like you. And it felt like an honour to be in a town where they’ve broken so many amazing, wonderful acts over the years.”
“I’m just going to predict it. That’s it for London,” she continued. “Blackpool, I think, is the future for our auditions, and we all loved it.”
A new era for Britain’s got talent
This year’s auditions have been held at the iconic Blackpool Winter Gardens, alongside other locations in London and Manchester. However, Holden’s comments suggest that the seaside resort could become a more permanent home for the talent show’s search for the UK’s next big star.
The new series will also see a major format change, with the live semi-finals airing weekly rather than in the traditional back-to-back nightly format.
‘The show is about second chances’
Holden also took the opportunity to highlight Britain’s Got Talent‘s role in providing opportunities for undiscovered performers.
“It’s about second chances as well as supporting the underdog,” she said. “It’s accessible. It’s not out of anyone’s reach. My favourite auditions are the hairbrush auditions—when you know that really they’ve only ever done it in their bedroom and no one’s seen it.”
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She also highlighted how the show continues to support comedians, who have lost many of their traditional routes to fame.
“For comedians, it’s incredible,” she said. “They’ve lost the working men’s clubs, they’ve lost a lot of the traditional routes to be discovered. There’s nothing better than performing live in front of a huge audience, going out on TV, but also going viral online.”
“It’s still the greatest platform for undiscovered talent, and dreams can become a reality overnight,” she added.
Looking back at Britain’s got talent winners
Last year’s series was won by singer Sydnie Christmas, whose powerful rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow captivated audiences in the final.
Since its launch in 2007, Britain’s Got Talent has produced a variety of stars, including opera singer Paul Potts, dance troupe Diversity, and comedian Axel Blake. The winner of the series receives a £250,000 cash prize and a spot at the prestigious Royal Variety Performance.
The show’s return will once again be hosted by Ant & Dec, who have been at the helm since its inception.
Britain’s Got Talent returns this Saturday at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX, and STV.
