Britain’s Got Talent Head Producer and Judge Simon Cowell is facing controversy this Saturday night, April 19, after reports of unfair treatment were coming out about the newest season of the popular series. After an episode of the most recent Got Talent, fans were in arms about a contestant, who came out of the audience to perform, and got put through. Viewers felt as though the event was rigged, referring to the competition as a “fix”. Cowell has since come out to respond to those allegations and says they are false.
Simon Cowell Makes Controversial Decision
This past weekend, an episode of the popular entry in reality show competition, Britain’s Got Talent, aired an audition phase of the competition. Typically, competitors go through a long audition process to be able to perform for the judges. Last-second auditions are rarely approved. This weekend, however, producer and judge Simon Cowell flipped the script when he allowed audience member Max Fox to come on stage and audition for the show.
The audience member is edited to be seen begging Simon Cowell for a chance to sing for the judges and audition. Fox is recorded shouting out, “Simon, Simon, 19 years I’ve tried to get in front of you. Can you give me an opportunity?” Ultimately, Cowell relented, and after Fox performed, the judges put him through to the next round. They did not just put him through, but gave him the final golden buzzer, pushing Fox directly into the live semi-finals of the show.
It was this series of events that had fans skeptical. Viewers argued that the event was staged and pre-arranged, and the show and Simon Cowell were doing it to help the shock value. Cowell vehemently denies this claim, even offering to hook up to a lie detector to prove himself. “I think I should be wired to a lie detector machine in the future to prove I’m speaking the truth, because when something like this happens, people instantly shout fix. In this case, do you really think I could be bothered to plant someone in the audience? No. But that’s exactly what happened.”
Fellow judge Amanda Holden, who gave Fox the golden buzzer in the first place, agreed with Simon Cowell’s explanation. “I know that’s what people will say, but I promise it wasn’t. It was like a moment from a movie. This guy was in the audience and kept putting his hand up, asking Simon to let him sing… We knew nothing about him; he just got in the audience that day and talked his way on stage. I have so much respect for him taking his shot when he got it. He’s got balls, that’s for sure.”
This is the first time an occasion like this has happened on Britain’s Got Talent, although it occasionally has been allowed in other worldwide variations. With the show insisting the audition was not scripted, fans will just have to decide what to believe or not. With the live round coming up next, viewers can have their voices heard through the voting process.
Final Thoughts
The controversy makes sense, and there is no real way to prove what took place on the show behind the scenes. Simon Cowell can swear he is telling the truth, fans can swear he is not, and the only ones who truly know the answer are Max Fox himself, and the judges and producers of the show. None of those people is obligated to be honest if they do not want to. We can hope that the show is fair and that the decision was made fairly, but ultimately, it is just a hypothetical either way. Reality television competitions are often not transparent, and this situation is another example.
Fans who enjoy the show can watch the semi-final live rounds on Saturday, April 26, where Max Fox and the other performers will begin their performances for the country. Simon Cowell and the judges will offer feedback, but fans get to decide with their votes. Hopefully, this controversy will die down and fans can simply enjoy the incredible talent on this year’s edition of the Britain’s Got Talent franchise.
