The power of the Golden Buzzer

The highly-anticipated return of Britain's Got Talent is just around the corner, with ITV bringing us another series of spectacular acts vying for the judges' approval.

This weekend, hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly will be back to guide us through the auditions and later on, the live shows. As always, the panel will consist of returning judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon, but this year, there's a new addition to the mix. Replacing David Walliams is the beloved Strictly Come Dancing judge, Bruno Tonioli, who will be making his debut on Saturday night.

One thing that viewers can look forward to is the return of the Golden Buzzer, which comes with a twist this year. So, what exactly is a Golden Buzzer? It's a coveted prize that grants an act a spot in one of the live semi-finals of the show, skipping past the bootcamp stage of the competition. The buzzer is pressed by a judge or host who wants a particular audition to go straight through to the live shows. This year, the audience also has a say, as they were given a buzzer for the first time ever, and the rules have been changed slightly.

All four judges: Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell, and Amanda Holden have the power to press the buzzer and secure an act, while hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly share one. Simon Cowell has teased that there could be more than five golden buzzers this series, and that the audience got one as a one-off. The other two remain a mystery for now.

As for the Golden Buzzer acts so far, none have been chosen as the series has not yet begun. But over the next month or so, viewers will find out who the judges and hosts chose for their golden buzzer, and there's also the act to look out for that was chosen by the audience.

Don't miss the season premiere of Britain's Got Talent this Saturday at 8PM and Sunday at 7:45PM on ITV1 and ITV X, and join us in discovering the next big thing in entertainment!