It's SHOWTIME!

ANT and DEC give us the lowdown on what to expect as the talent spectacular returns…

- VICTORIA WILSON

BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT

NEW SAT, 8PM, & EASTER SUN, 7.35PM, ITV ENTERTAINMENT

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are in high spirits when TV Times catches up with them for a video chat about the return of ITV’s entertainment juggernaut Britain’s Got Talent after a year’s hiatus from our screens. And the popular presenters promise us that the standard of talent is as strong as ever!

‘There was a real renewed sense of excitement when we all got back together again at the London Palladium with an actual audience,’ explains Dec.

‘There was a renewed appreciation of the talent, too,’ adds Ant. ‘BGT being away for a while meant that all the talent was fresh and really good.’

As the auditions begin this Saturday, the 15th series will again see a wonderful array of acts take to the stage in the hope of impressing judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams for the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance and win a £250,000 cash prize.

Here, Ant and Dec, both 46, tell us more…

The show took a break last year because of the pandemic. What impact has being away had on the standard of talent?

DEC We had some acts who’d met in the past two years and had rehearsed over Zoom to time in front of an audience at the London Palladium.

It was very moving that they’d used what was a horrible time to create something positive. So it feels like a really special series.