Britain’s Got Talent returned for its 19th series over the weekend, but early reports suggest the beloved talent show may have opened to the smallest audience in its long history.
Simon Cowell and his fellow judges were back on Saturday night (February 21) as a fresh crop of hopefuls took to the stage hoping for their big break.
Yet while social media buzzed with chatter about the acts, the numbers told a tougher story, with viewing figures said to be at an all-time low.
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Britain’s Got Talent 2026 dealt ratings setback
Across its run, BGT has regularly drawn huge audiences, often between six and 10 million viewers a series. But reports claim Saturday’s launch show attracted around three million viewers.
There were other factors at play. The Winter Olympics was airing on BBC at the same time, which may have split audiences, and the figures do not include streaming on ITVX.
Still, the debut is said to be down by about 1.5 million compared with last year’s opener, a drop that will not have gone unnoticed by show bosses.
Super TV posted on social media: “RATINGS! Britain’s Got Talent got off to a disastrous start for its 19 series, as just 3 million viewers tuned in. It’s the lowest rating ever recorded for the show, down over 1.5 million on last year and HALF of what it got just four years ago.”
ITV has been contacted for comment.
‘We’re in Dancing On Ice territory here’
Some viewers reacted quickly, suggesting the long-running favourite may be losing its shine. A few even compared the situation to other entertainment shows that struggled in later years, including Dancing On Ice and The X Factor.
“These shows have just had their day. Simon learnt the hard way with The X Factor. It declined quite rapidly over the final few years. The Voice gets about three viewers and now BGT joins the ranks,” wrote one viewer.
“It’s the same every series!” said another. “A person thinks their dog can sing. School pretends to be from Nativity!. Tricks that have been shown millions of times but judges pretend they’ve never seen it. All fake.”
Others felt the format may need refreshing. “It has had its time,” said one. “Everyone knows it’s staged now.”
Another added: “We are in Dancing On Ice territory here. It’ll be interesting to see if it gets a boost next week with no Olympics.”
With more auditions still to air, it remains to be seen if the show can bounce back once the competition for viewers eases. For now, all eyes will be on next week’s episode to see if Britain’s Got Talent can pull audiences back to their sofas.
Read more: New BGT judge KSI sparks backlash with his behaviour as he makes panel debut
Britain’s Got Talent 2026 returns on Saturday (February 28) at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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