Britain's Got Talent forced off air midway through semi-final show due to stormy weather

'We’re sorry for the disruption'

Britain’s Got Talent has entered into the live semi-finals stage, seeing contestants battle for a place in the grand final.

Unfortunately, the first heat was plagued by technical difficulties, Monday (28 May) night’s show going off air for several minutes following the first act, Cali Swing.

With the show down, ITV posted an apology on screens reading: “We’re sorry for the disruption – We’re working hard to fix the issue and will return to normal programming soon.”

An announcer told audiences: “Apologies but we do appear to be having some issues bringing you the live semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent. We’re working on them and we hope to return to the studio as soon as possible.”

Following the blackout, in which time ITV began broadcasting footage of former winner’s auditions and other highlights, the show returned with Declan Donnelly saying the stormy weather conditions were to blame for the fault.

Judge Simon Cowell then jokingly accused absentee host Ant McPartlin of sabotage, saying: “Ant, you are coming back next year – you don’t have to do that.”

Meanwhile, Britain’s Got Talent has gone through a rule change, seeing the judges play a more important role in deciding which acts make the grand final. The live semi-finals continue tonight (29 May) at 7.30pm on ITV.