BGT slammed with Ofcom complaints after ‘terrifying’ semi-finalist left them ‘horrified’
BRITAIN’S Got Talent has once again been slammed with Ofcom complaints after a “terrifying” semi-final’s performance left them “horrified”.
Fans were left sickened when contestant Bao Cuong, 45, took to the stage again after his first audition left viewers “gagging” the first time around.
During his first audition he left the judges recoiling by swallowing a giant pair of scissors.
On Saturday night, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli looked on in horror as pushed his talent to the next level as he swallowed flaming weapons.
Even Ant and Dec were left squirming as he conducted his most dangerous stunt yet.
The ITV presenting pair both looked horrified as they got on a motorcycle car which Bao pulled using just his eyes.
After he finished, the contestant was given a flannel by an aide as his face was streaming with tears.
Both before and throughout the act, viewers were repeatedly warned not to try anything similar at home.
During the critiques, Alesha remarked: “I did find that particularly hard to watch because of your eyes.
Meanwhile, Simon also left praise for the star, although he admittedly struggled to get through.
He remarked: “You look so normal and sweet and then you do these terrible things to yourself.
“It’s very difficult to watch you do these terrible things to you, but at the same time, I loved it.
“It’s like a horror movie that you don’t wanna watch but do.”
FAN BACKLASH
Fans at home found the gruesome act too much to bear.
Ofcom have revealed that May 10’s Britain’s Got Talent episode received 65 complaints.
They confirmed to The Mirror that the majority of them related to Bao’s extreme routine.
Britain's Got Talent's biggest 'fix' rows
Britain's Got Talent has been plagued with 'fix' rows over the years. How many of these do you remember?
Jasmine Elcock – 2016: Teenage singer Jasmine Elcock stunned the nation with her version of Cher’s Believe. But it then transpired she had already performed professionally in London’s West End. Jasmine, 14, admitted: “I’ve performed in Annie in the West End at about the age of nine or 10, but I really get nervous.”
IrShad Shaikh – 2017: BGT fans were left questioning the rule book when IrShad Shaikh auditioned. He got four red buzzers from the judges, which would usually mean an instant dismissal. Yet in a strange turn of events, they let him continue with his act…and put him through to the next round.
Colin Thackery – 2019: Elderly war veteran Colin won BGT in 2019, but there was an outcry over the final. He warbled his place to win with a version of We’ll Meet Again but fans were furious that escapologist Jonathan Goodwin didn’t even rank in the top three. Viewers felt Jonathan – who almost suffocated while being buried alive in a gravel pit – should have won.
Axel Blake – 2022: Comedian Axel Blake was given a Golden Buzzer in 2022 after making the judges laugh. But fans were fuming when they discovered Axel already had a show on worldwide streaming platform Amazon Prime. Despite this, Axel still went on to win the series.
Taryn Charles – 2024: Singer Taryn Charles is one of this year’s hopefuls lucky enough to receive the Golden Buzzer. Bruno Tonilio put her straight through to the semi-finals following her performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin, but it has now come to light that she is no stranger to TV. Viewers recognised Taryn from an episode of ITV1’s Starstruck, where she impersonated Whitney Houston for judges Olly Murs, Sheridan Smith, Adam Lambert and Beverley Knight.
Viewers also took to social media to vent, with one saying: “Make it stop man I can’t even watch how disgusting.”
A second fumed: “I find this act impossible to watch. How can this be classed as family entertainment … it’s horrific.”
“That’s just disgusting nothing entertaining about it at all,” angrily stated a third fan.
While a fourth wrote: “I don’t want to watch an act which is intrinsically dangerous. It could have gone horribly wrong.”
And a fifth user added: “Couldn’t watch half of that eeew.”
Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV1 and is available to stream back on ITVX.