Tuesday 3 May 2011

The Hoff taking flak for missing talent?


David Hasselhoff's feet have hardly had time to touch UK soil before the rumours about his possible Britain's Got Talent axe have started. But The Hoff is far from the main problem with the new BGT episodes, it is the astounding lack of real talent that is most damaging.

In recent years BGT has sky-rocketed under the normally safe guidance of Simon Cowell but Cowell has taken a back seat this year (though he he will return for the live shows), and the show is suffering.

Ratings are falling, with the last episode being watched by 8.99 million viewers which is the lowest for the BGT auditions since 2007 and down on the opening episode audience of 11.6 million.

Whilst Hassellhoff has not instantly fitted into the high-waisted trousers of Cowell (alongside comedian Michael McIntyre and regular judge Amanda Holden) and the new judging panel lacks the 'bad guy' persona, it is the lack of any truly memorable or original acts which has made the show tedious and boring.

Even the gimmicky acts have drawn a deadly silence around the TV in my house.

Whilst a man singing nursery rhymes to pop songs or an adorable dog howling to opera is ok for the first two minutes, beyond the audition stage there will probably be little surprise or entertainment to it and I can't see the Queen finding comfort in the future talent of the country watching either of those acts.

12-year-old Ronan Park is a good singer and made me look up and pay attention for the first and only time so far this series but despite his obvious talent, a child singer is not the fantastically original or different act that BGT often plucks from obscurity.

Whilst Hassellhoff's job looks safe for now, lets hope for his and the viewers sake that better talent appears on the stage before I lose all interest in the series and The Hoff loses his job.

Are you enjoying the new series of BGT?

Picture from Unreality TV