Nervous child derails Britain's Got Talent as he pulls out live on air

Britain's Got Talent fans were left devastated as Teddy pulled out of his semi-final performance

A child magician derailed the first semi-final of Britain's Got Talent 2025 after pulling out of his performance live on air.

Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist Teddy Magic, who is eight years old, has unexpectedly withdrawn from his scheduled performance, forfeiting his opportunity to impress the judges.

The beloved ITV talent show made its return to television screens this past weekend, with a fresh group of semi-finalists vying for a coveted spot in the grand finale.

Teddy Magic was slated to dazzle the audience early on with his remarkable magic tricks.

However, presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly suggested that the young prodigy might be grappling with stage fright as they informed viewers he required additional time to ready himself for the live prime-time broadcast.

Despite hopes that Teddy would eventually grace the stage with his act, it was later announced that he would not be performing after all.

Dec addressed the audience, saying: "[Teddy] wont be performing tonight but we hope to see him later on in the series," following the earlier postponement of his act.

Social media channels were abuzz with fans expressing both support and concern for the young performer.

One fan said on X: "We love you teddy. He'll be back stronger than ever!" while another asked: "What happened to poor little Teddy?"

A fan shared their concern on social media, said: "#BGT Teddy Magic has withdrawn from semi-final but will perform in a later show. We love you Teddy, keep your head up little man," reports the Mirror.

Another viewer shared their worry, said: "I hope Teddy is ok #BGT."

Yet another added to the support by saying: "Hugs for Teddy, hope to see him at the next live show. #BGT."

With the young star bowing out of the first semi-final, it left some fans pondering how this would affect the line-up in the upcoming shows.

One said: "With Teddy Not performing tonight, that meant we had seven acts performing.

"Does that mean one of the remaining semi-finals will have 9 acts performing, given in mind that Teddy Magic will have to be squeezed in somewhere? #BGT."

The first semi-final of 2025's season was plagued by technical issues, much to the annoyance of viewers who were already irked by changes to the show's format.

Following the delay of Teddy's act, fans grew irate when The Blackouts' performance was postponed due to further technical difficulties.

Despite the setbacks, The Blackouts finally took to the stage, leaving both the judges and live studio audience utterly captivated.

Judge Amanda Holden was especially impressed, hitting her golden buzzer for the dance group and sending them directly into the live final.

The decision to include a golden buzzer during the live semi-final shows of Britain's Got Talent has sparked controversy, with many viewers concerned that it could result in a final dominated by judge-selected contestants rather than those chosen by the voting public.

Each week, one judge will have the power to hit the golden buzzer, sending a contestant straight to the final, while the rest must rely on votes from viewers.

However, the move has led to a backlash on social media, with complaints not only about the potential unfair advantage for some acts but also about the disruptive audience behaviour it has prompted.

One viewer vented their frustration on Twitter: "The golden buzzer in the semi finals already causing havoc cause the audience won't shut up #bgt."

Another commenter said: "Will this audience shut up #BGT."

Criticism didn't stop there, as viewers took issue with the introduction of the golden buzzer in the live shows.

One person said: "#BGT so basically the judges may as well just pick the finalists and forget about the semis, what a joke."

Another expressed their disapproval, saying: "A live show golden buzzer is completely unnecessary. What if she [Holden] doesn't press it at all? #BGT."

And yet another said: "#BGT in other words it's so the judges can fix it!"

The format of having multiple semi-final shows spread out over more than a month also came under fire.

A disgruntled viewer said: "So every Saturday for the next 6 weeks, is the Semi Final episodes #BGT."