Britain’s Got Talent fans were left stunned after the live semi final of the family favourite show opened with a performance from adult musical Avenue Q.
The cast and puppets from the West End production took to the stage as the third semi final of the series got underway, setting an unexpected tone right from the start.
But viewers watching at home with children were far from impressed by the surprise booking.
Although the puppets may look similar to those seen in Jim Henson’s The Muppets, Avenue Q is firmly aimed at adults.
It is widely known as an X rated, adult oriented parody of Sesame Street.
Avenue Q features songs including Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist and The Internet Is for Porn.
The official website for the musical includes a parental advisory warning due to explicit lyrics.
Britain’s Got Talent fans fury at Avenue Q performance
Thankfully, the opening performance from the Avenue Q cast did not include either of those well known songs.
Instead, the performance was toned down, although it still included a comedic pause where one character was meant to swear. The cast also sang about ‘death, taxes and Botox’.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, viewers did not hold back.
One viewer raged: “Now tell the audience what Avenue Q is about… Not so cute now is it?”
Another added: “‘Except for death and taxes…’ is this for kids?”
A third said: “Me finding out that this musical that is famous for the ‘The Internet is really great for p**n’ song is being promoted on Britain’s got talent’s opening.”
And a fourth pointed out: “This is pretty much the only Avenue Q that can be performed before the watershed…. I’m hoping they do Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist or The Internet Is For Porn later on…”
Another viewer warned: “The amount of kids that are going to want to see Avenue q now based on that #britainsgottalent performance only to be absolutely horrified.”
Britain’s Got Talent third semi-final
Tonight, May 9, 2026, marks the third live semi final of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent series. Eight acts are back on stage hoping to secure a place in the Grand Final.
The line up includes Antigravity, Liwei Yang, The Lux City Choir, Niamh Noade, Mega Unity and Mizuki, with Playground and Ted Hill also competing.
Alongside Avenue Q, Westlife also performed a special set. Fans quickly noticed that Mark Feehily is missing from the group. Mark is currently taking time out of Westlife for health reasons.
Read more: Simon Cowell reflects on ‘horrible’ way he treated Susan Boyle during Britain’s Got Talent audition
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