BGT FINAL 2023: Comedian Viggo Venn is crowned the WINNER

Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn has been crowned the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2023.

Dancer Lilliana Clifton, 13, and 14-year-old magician Cillian O’Connor placed in second and third respectively – but missed out on the title.

Viggo scooped the £250,000 prize and a spot on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance.

However, audience members appeared to boo Viggo, while social media erupted as viewers claimed the talent show was fixed. 

After technical issues and a series of switch-offs during Saturday evening’s Britain’s Got Talent semi-final, ITV could be forgiven for crossing fingers and toes as the grand final of their long-running flagship kicked off on Sunday evening. 

After a tense semi-final singer Amy Lou will be joined by magician Cillian O’Connor, acrobats Duo Odyssey, dance troupe Ghetto Kids, dancers Lillianna Clifton and Musa Motha, opera singer Malakai Bayoh, singers Olivia Lynes and Travis George and comedians Tonikaku and Viggo Venn. 

33-year-old Viggo not only donned his now-iconic hi-vis vest but forced head judge Simon Cowell into wearing a matching one as rose petals were thrown over the pair

Judge Alesha Dixon told him: ‘You’ve captivated the nation, they love you.’

Bruno Tonioli added: ‘I think your physical comedy is world-class, you have created one of the most memorable characters since Mr Bean.’

And Simon was full of praise for the funnyman, telling him: ‘At least you didn’t make me look stupid tonight. I have never ever met an act like you in my life, I will admit it, I really really love you now.’

Viggo called back to his original audition at the end of his performance, stripping off his jacket to Daft Punk’s ‘One More Time’ to reveal another hi-vis vest.

And when asked why he has so many of the jackets, he told co-host Declan Donnelly: ‘I wear so many high-vis because it’s really cold in Norway.’

Before the show aired, Simon explained how he hoped the programme would help the contestants build better lives for themselves.

He said: ‘I think you’ve got two things, you want to make a show which people hopefully will enjoy watching. And secondly, you want to give whoever it is that opportunity, hopefully, for things to get better in their lives after they’ve auditioned. I think where things have changed a lot from where we first started is it always used to be about the end prize.’

While many took to social media to praise Viggo for his win, some criticised him online, with one penning: ‘Nothing irritates me more than when complete JOKE ACT wins a competition’ 

Another wrote: ‘This man wore a hi-vis on a talent show and came away with £250k. Fair play’ 

A third added: ‘Audience are rightfully booing. Viggo Venn has zero talent. I hate the British public’ 

Earlier in the show, Ghetto kids blew the crowd away as they kicked off the talent shows grand final at the Hammersmith Apollo with an energetic dance routine.

The six kids, aged five to 13, are orphans who live together in Uganda after being rescued from the streets by their ‘dad’ Daouda Kavuma.

Priscila, 12, Asharif, 12, Akram, 13, Shakib, 12, Madwanah, 13 and Josephine, five, showed off their moves to a medley of upbeat songs.

They impressed despite one of the members being unable to dance after contracting malaria but he joined in by holding up the Uganda flag while they were showered by golden glitter.

Bruno said: ‘Seeing you makes me feel happy to be alive… you really are the pride of Africa.’

Alesha said: ‘I can’t put it into words how much joy you have brought us this year – You’ve done Uganda proud.’

Head judge Simon Cowell asked the ‘joyous’ group to come back every single year, adding: ‘This isn’t easy, you’ve got a few days to prepare something, in terms of personality, talent, everything worked… for me by a mile this was your best performance.’

The kids pledged to scoop the £250,000 cash prize and use the money to build a home in Uganda for ‘kids like them’. 

Next up was Olivia Lynes, 11, who performed a powerful rendition of Let It Go from Frozen.

She sang stood on a giant icicle while dressed in a blue dress and said afterwards: ‘I feel like a Disney princess’. 

Amanda said: ‘You definitely let it go Olivia, the whole thing was pitch perfect, you are a little star – I just cannot believe the power house that you are.’

Simon said he detected a few nerves at the beginning of the song, but Alesha disagreed, saying: ‘Confident and composed – I feel like you’re living your fairy tale and dreams and I hope to one day see you on the West End stage.’

Amy Lou wowed the judges with her vocals while singing Christina Aguilera’s Reflection, with Amanda telling her: ‘We haven’t had a female winner in too long’.

The singer, 34, gave birth to her second child just hours after her first audition aired in April and recently revealed she nearly died while giving birth to her first child Hudson, following complications with Sepsis. 

Alesha said: ‘I think we should put some perspective on this, here you are, shining composed… I am just so proud of you.’

Meanwhile, Amanda said: ‘You are a shining example for all the women, we haven’t had a female winner for a long time.’

South Wales’ Travis George impressed the judges with his unique take on popular song This Is Me from The Greatest Showman. 

After his performance, the 22-year-old said: ‘As a person who struggles with anxiety and came from nothing, to be in the finals of Britain’s Got Talent, thank you to everyone who made this the beautiful experience that it is.’

Alesha commented after the performance: ‘I thought the song choice was perfect, I’ll be honest I didn’t enjoy the vocal arrangement of the song’

Acrobats Duo Odyssey, made up of married couple Max and Sophia, sent the stage alight with their dangerous aerobatics routine.

They danced and performed a number of thrilling lifts and daredevil spins while hanging from a set of straps suspended from the ceiling.

Amanda said: ‘The drama, the chemistry, the choreography, you smashed it again, it was utterly stunning’.

Irish schoolboy Cillian O’Connor, 13, wowed the judges with an impressive magic routine which saw co-host Anthony McPartlin disappear.

After the performance, the judges and viewers at home were left absolutely stunned by the act, with Simon saying:’I just think you’ve obviously got magical powers and I believe in that.’

Lilliana Clifton commanded the Britain’s Got Talent stage with her emotional and dramatic dance routine to Eurovision winner Loreen’s Tattoo.

The 13-year-old schoolgirl was described as a ‘dancing queen’ by Bruno, who added: ‘The torment of emotion, that is the power of dance, it touches you in the gut, mind blown by this.’

Fellow judge Simon said: ‘To get this good this has taken hours and hours, your creativity, imagination, your choice of music, your focus.

‘I’m going to be honest with you, I always knew you were good, I didn’t know you were this good. There could be some real surprises on the show tonight and this for me is one of them.’

Viggo Venn has won over the nation with his very unique act, which involved him wearing his iconic Hi-Vis jacket, along with the judges and audience.

He called back to his hilarious audition, by stripping off his jacket to Daft Punk’s One More Time at the end.

Simon gave the Norwegian comedian a hug on stage and told him: ‘I’ve never met an act like you in my life, I didn’t like you but I really love you now’

Next up was Musa Motha who blew viewers away with his emotional and inspirational dance performance during the live final.

The South African native had his leg amputated aged 10 due to cancer and received the first ever joint golden buzzer from the judges in his audition.

The former footballer, 27, who now resides in London, told how after giving up his sporting dreams, he had learned to dance with the help of his friends.

After his performance, Alesha said: ‘You literally take my breath away, you make us feel like we can do anything, so for that thank you.’

Meanwhile Simon said: ‘You’ve got me in pieces now. From the minute we met you and you told us your story we all knew we had met someone truly special and every performance I believe has got better and better.

‘I’m rarely speechless but you’ve left me speechless, you have my respect and admiration.’

Bruno said: ‘It was like watching a bird flying at times, totally free. You have star quality, you held the focus, we could not take our eyes off you.’

Malakai Bayoh, who was judge Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer choice, wowed with a spectacular performance.

The 14-year-old singer from London, donning a glittering jacket and Nike Dunk trainers, had judge Bruno Tonioli in tears following the end of his performance.

‘That is the ultimate Italian anthem, I am crying again. That crystal clear note at the end, I think you killed me,’ Bruno said.

Amanda said: ‘You absolutely pierced my heart,’ while Simon said: ‘I really am bursting with pride right now.

‘That was a big big song to deliver. It was absolutely beautiful from start to finish.’

Susan Boyle made a surprise appearance during the Britain’s Got Talent final, singing her 2009 audition song I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables with the cast of the West End production.

The 62-year-old also joined the cast in performing a rendition of Do You Hear The People Sing?

After the performance, she said: ‘It feels great (to be here). It’s extra special for me, last April I suffered a minor stroke and I fought to be back on stage and I have done it.’

Judge Simon said: ‘Susan, we owe you so much, I knew you weren’t well but if anyone was going to come back, you were going to come back, it wouldn’t be the same without you.’

In Friday’s last live show, Simon Cowell confirmed there would be a lucky eleventh act making the final tonight.

Simon Cowell and fellow judges Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli decided one of the top three acts who missed out to be given a second chance.

After a tense deliberation between the judges, it was decided Tonikaku will join this year’s finalists in the live grand final. 

He finished third in Friday’s semi-final, with Simon saying: ‘We just had to have him in the final. It wouldn’t be the same without him.’ 

Simon shockingly lost his voice during Britain’s Got Talent ‘s live final on Sunday.

The music mogul, 63, could be seen coughing and spluttering as he pointed at his throat, throwing the show into chaos.

Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , both 47, were forced to quickly move with Simon unable to give act Amy Lou his feedback.

After the new mum sang a beautiful rendition of Reflection by Christina Aguilera the hosts turned to hear the judge’s feedback.

Simon stood pointing at the throat, unable to speak, before pointing at his fellow judges, with Amanda Holden, 52, quickly intervening saying: ‘He’s got something stuck in his throat!’.

The Geordie duo then swiftly moved on to hear from Bruno Toniloi as Simon could be seen attempting to regain his composure. 

Britain’s Got Talent’s live audience appeared to boo new judge Bruno during the opening moments of Sunday’s grand final.

After hosts Ant and Dec, both 47, introduced all 11 finalists to the stage, the four judges were then introduced with Bruno joined by Simon, Amanda, and Alesha.

After taking to their seats on the panel, they were quizzed in turn about the night ahead, only for the former Strictly star to seemingly receive a string of boos from the audience.

Rushing to Twitter one viewer joked following the scantily clad Tonikaku’s perfomance : ‘Is it just me that is hearing people booing Bruno? imagine being the only person that’s being booed when there’s a guy only wearing pants on stage.’