Filming for the upcoming series of Britain’s Got Talent has been postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases, ITV confirmed on Thursday.
The talent competition usually begins filming in late January with the series beginning in April but production for the 15th series has been halted due to the new U.K. lockdown measures put in place by the government.
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“The filming for the 15th series of Britain’s Got Talent has been postponed from its proposed record dates in late January,” a spokesperson for ITV said in a statement.
“With the announcement of the latest Government health guidelines and with our priority of safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved in our programmes we, together with the production teams at Thames and Syco, have taken the decision to move the record and broadcast of the forthcoming series.
“We will confirm revised dates in due course.”
Other television shows have resumed production but BGT is a different animal with acts traveling across the country or internationally and some requiring additional health and safety measures, it would make filming the audition rounds impossible.
The broadcaster did not confirm production will be able to commence. When it does, judges Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams are all expected to return, while Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will present.
The Daily Mirror is reporting the show is hopeful to film over the summer and return in the autumn to fill the spot left by The X Factor.
“If the vaccination process goes to plan and we are all closer to normal in the summer, we are very hopeful that we could make the series then,” the source told the publication. “It would be brilliant to have Britain’s Got Talent for the autumn schedule.”
Comedy singer Jon Courtenay won the show in 2020, taking home the £250,000 prize and a spot on the Royal Variety Show.
