Britain's Got Talent return date announced – new series will air in days after delays

ITV's fashionable endowment contention Britain's Got Talent is acceptable to instrumentality to our screens successful a substance of days aft auditions were halted concisely pursuing Liam Payne's death

ITV amusement Britain's Got Talent's caller bid aerial day has been announced – and the amusement volition instrumentality successful a substance of days.

The fashionable ITV endowment amusement has announced its motorboat day for the 18th bid of the programme, which volition instrumentality to our screens connected Saturday February 22. The archetypal occurrence volition aerial astatine 7pm connected ITV1, STV and ITVX, the broadcaster has confirmed.

Ant and Dec are acceptable to instrumentality arsenic the show's hosts portion Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli volition marque their comeback arsenic the competition's judges. Meanwhile, YouTuber and boxer KSI volition besides marque an quality connected the bid arsenic a impermanent judge.

The authoritative teaser shows breathtaking highlights from the upcoming bid and shows the unthinkable acts acceptable to grace the signifier and audition. As the teaser begins Declan Donnelly tin beryllium heard saying: "Please instrumentality your seats, the amusement is astir to start."

Acts successful the teaser see a dummer who is seen with overgarment splashing connected their drum acceptable portion the symbols are connected fire, a creation enactment performing a immense flip, a rod dancer dressed arsenic a seagull and a magician with his manus acceptable connected occurrence – on with a pistillate lasting connected stilts portion flicking plates onto her head. The teaser ends with Ant McPartlin announcing: "It's showtime."

The bid instrumentality comes aft the programme's audition process faced delays successful October, pursuing Liam Payne's tragic death. A week earlier Liam's daze death, the judges gathered successful Blackpool Winter Gardens to people the caller bid getting underway. However, the amusement aboriginal confirmed they postponed the auditions pursuing his death.

The One Direction vocalist died astatine the property of 31 after falling from the 3rd level of a hotel successful the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Local constabulary said the dad-of-one fell from the 3rd level into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel earlier medics confirmed his death. Fremantle UK - Britain's Got Talent's accumulation institution - confirmed the cancellation to the Mirror astatine the time, with a spokesperson saying: "Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we person decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, household and each who loved him."

Auditions resumed aboriginal successful October arsenic the judges returned to Blackpool. Simon shared a heartbreaking tribute to Liam, who the euphony mogul had met astatine the property of 14 erstwhile helium auditioned for The X Factor.

Taking to Instagram, Simon said: "You ne'er truly cognize however you consciousness astir idiosyncratic until a infinitesimal similar this happens. Liam, I americium devastated. Heartbroken. And I consciousness empty. And I privation you to cognize however overmuch emotion and respect I person for you. Every teardrop I person shed is simply a representation of you.

"This is truthful hard to enactment into words close now. I went extracurricular today, and I thought astir truthful galore times we had together. I wanted to fto you cognize what I would ever accidental to the thousands of radical who would ever inquire me. What is Liam like? And I would archer them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And however overmuch you loved music. And however overmuch emotion you genuinely had for the fans."

The euphony brag continued: "I had to archer you erstwhile you were 14 that this wasn't your time. And we some made a committedness that we would conscionable again. A batch of radical would person fixed up. You didn't. You came backmost and wrong months the full world cognize Liam. And you ne'er forgot the fans. I watched you spending truthful overmuch clip with radical who had wanted to conscionable you. You truly cared. You came to spot maine past year. Not for a meeting. Just to beryllium and talk. And we reminisced astir each of the amusive times we had together. And however arrogant you were to beryllium a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were inactive the sweet, benignant lad I had met each of those years ago.

"I person met your son, Bear. He has your grin and that twinkle successful his oculus that you have. And helium volition beryllium truthful arrogant of everything you achieved. And however you achieved it. I ever thought the 5 of you successful the set arsenic brothers. And regarding their messages contiguous I judge you were. And present Liam, I tin spot the effect you had connected truthful galore people. Because you near america excessively soon. Rest successful bid my friend. And I americium sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family. Simon X."

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