Simon Cowell Faces Bgt Semi-final Audience Complaints Over Loud Crowd

bgt semi-final audience complaints surfaced within minutes of Britain's Got Talent returning on May 2, with viewers saying the studio crowd was too loud and annoying during the live ITV semi-final. Simon Cowell struggled to get feedback out in full at points as the audience noise rolled over the judges' comments.

That reaction came while Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI were judging acts including Alfredo & Coral, Braunstone Community Primary School, World Wings, Macshan & Delby, Fabian Fox, Nic Vani, Sadeck Berrabah, LMA and Katherine O'Malley. KSI had recently replaced Bruno Tonioli, and the night was another push toward the grand final and a place in the 2026 finalists race.

Simon Cowell and the live panel

Cowell returned for the live semi-final and was one of the judges most visibly affected by the noise in the room. The panel turned around to face the audience during the broadcast, a sign that the disruption had become part of the show rather than a background detail.

The crowd issue landed fast because the judges' feedback is one of the few live-show elements viewers can track in real time. When that stops landing cleanly, the broadcast loses the back-and-forth that separates a live semi-final from a taped performance show.

Katherine O'Malley back in 2018

Katherine O'Malley's return added another layer to the night. She had appeared on BGT with her husband Joe in 2018, 2019 and 2020, making her one of the more familiar names in a field built around live one-off performances.

Viewers did not wait long to react. One wrote, "The audience on #BGT is ruining the show. It's like a mob. It would be much better if the audience did the shouting and screaming when the judges stop talking. #BritainsGotTalent." Others posted, "More annoying screaming audience. #bgt" and "Can the audience be quiet? #BGT" while another said, "The audience making too much noise over an average long-winded trick. #BGT."

ITV crowd noise problem

The sharpest friction in the broadcast was not the talent line-up but the timing of the studio reaction. One viewer wrote, "The audience is unbearable with the cheering at the wrong times (laughing face) #BGT" and another said, "This audience is so annoying #BGT."

For a live ITV semi-final, that kind of noise can crowd out the judges as much as the acts crowd for attention. The practical takeaway for viewers is simple: the live show still moved forward, but the studio energy became the story within minutes, not the performances alone.