Britain's Got Talent series 8

File:Ant and Dec in Cardiff Bay.jpg

Following open auditions held the previous year between 19 October to 1 December 2013 in various cities,{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s107/britains-got-talent/news/a522144/britains-got-talent-2014-open-audition-dates-revealed.html|title='Britain's Got Talent' 2014 open audition dates revealed|last=Taylor|first=Frances|date=8 October 2013|work=Digital Spy|access-date=15 November 2013}} which included auditions held at a series of "Talent Spot tents" provided by the show's sponsor that year,{{cite news|url=http://talent.itv.com/2013/news/insider/read_the-britains-got-talent-auditions-are-coming-to-morrisons_item_100189.htm|title=The Britain's Got Talent auditions are coming to Morrisons!|date=30 October 2013|work=Britain's Got Talent|publisher=itv.com|access-date=14 February 2014}} and at The Savoy Hotel in Blackpool and The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton, the Judges' auditions took place between January and February 2014, within Belfast,{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s107/britains-got-talent/news/a545010/britains-got-talent-2014-auditions-kick-off-in-belfast-pictures.html|title=Britain's Got Talent 2014 auditions kick off in Belfast – pictures|last=Rigby|first=Sam|date=18 January 2014|work=Digital Spy|access-date=16 February 2014}} London,{{cite news|url=http://www.sugarscape.com/main-topics/film-and-tv/1017850/britains-got-talent-judges-talk-buzzers-and-boybands-london-audition|title=Britain's Got Talent judges talk buzzers and boybands at the London auditions – Watch|last=Smith|first=Carl|date=12 February 2014|publisher=sugarscape.com|access-date=16 February 2014}} Manchester, Birmingham,{{cite web|url=http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/britains-got-talent/174850-britains-got-talent-2014-spoilers-simon-cowell-embrassed-by-blow-up-dolls.html|title=Britain's Got Talent 2014 spoilers: Simon Cowell embarrassed by blow up dolls|last=Darvill|first=Josh|date=2 February 2014|publisher=TellyMix|access-date=16 February 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/04/britains-got-talent-simon-cowell-choking-mint-saved-david-walliams_n_4721615.html|title=David Walliams Saves Simon Cowell From Choking on a Mint At 'Britain's Got Talent' Auditions|date=4 February 2014|work=HuffPost|publisher=AOL|access-date=16 February 2014}} and Cardiff.{{cite news|url=http://www.reveal.co.uk/showbiz-celeb-gossip/news/a546213/bgt-simon-cowell-and-alesha-dixon-arrive-for-cardiff-auditions.html|title=BGT: Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon arrive for Cardiff auditions|last=Heath|first=Olivia|date=23 January 2014|work=Reveal|publisher=Nat Mags|access-date=16 February 2014}} For the first time since the first series, auditions didn't take place in Scotland, as the show's producers wished to try new locations for talent, which led to them opting to hold auditions within Northern Ireland for the first time as a result.{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/466895/Hasn-t-Scotland-got-talent-Simon|title=Hasn't Scotland got talent, Simon?|last=Docherty|first=Gavin|date=26 March 2014|work=Daily Express|publisher=Northern & Shell|access-date=30 March 2014}} Due to illness, Simon Cowell was forced to be absent from a day of auditions in Manchester to recover, leading to hosts Ant & Dec each standing in for him, while on the final day of auditions in London, Cowell was forced to be absent for them to attend to his girlfriend Lauren Silverman, who had gone into labour that day; the show's production team chose not to bring in a stand-in because of this.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a551266/simon-cowell-baby-reportedly-on-the-way-sinitta-confirms.html|title=Simon Cowell baby reportedly 'on the way', Sinitta confirms?|last=Sperling|first=Daniel|date=14 February 2014|work=Digital Spy|access-date=14 February 2014}}

By the time that the public auditions for the eighth series' competition had begun, the Got Talent franchise was beginning to update its format for auditions across international editions through the inclusion of a new feature{{snd}} the "Golden Buzzer". First introduced on Germany's Got Talent, the new format meant that those auditioning for a place in the live rounds of the competition for this year could earn an automatic place in the live rounds from any of the judges or the hosts, regardless of the opinions about their performance. Although the judges and hosts had permission to use the buzzer, Stephen Mulhern was not allowed to use it, despite his involvement in overseeing auditions for Britain's Got More Talent. Also for the first time, the contestants were no longer required to wear an ID sticker during their auditions.

Of the participants that took part, forty-five made it past this stage and into the five live semi-finals-{{cite news|url=http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/britains-got-talent/britains-got-talent-2014-judges-deliberate-david-walliams-debuts-new-look-amanda-holden-visits-crufts/|title=Britain's Got Talent 2014: The Judges deliberate, David Walliams debuts new look & Amanda Holden visits Crufts!|last=Connolly|first=Lynn|date=10 March 2014|publisher=Unreality TV|access-date=10 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512223109/http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/britains-got-talent/britains-got-talent-2014-judges-deliberate-david-walliams-debuts-new-look-amanda-holden-visits-crufts/|archive-date=12 May 2014|url-status=dead}} amongst these, salsa dancing duo Paddy & Nico,{{cite web|url=http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/britains-got-talent/174954-britains-got-talent-2014-auditions-amanda-holden-uses-golden-buzzer.html|title=Britain's Got Talent 2014 auditions: Amanda Holden uses 'golden buzzer'|last=Darvill|first=Josh|date=2 February 2014|publisher=TellyMix|access-date=2 February 2014}} hip hop duo Bars & Melody,{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-02-11/simon-cowell-regrets-golden-buzzer-choice---and-worries-who-david-walliams-will-pick|title=Britain's Got Talent 2014: Simon Cowell wishes he'd saved Golden Buzzer and worries who'll David Walliams will choose|date=11 February 2014|last=Daly|first=Emma|work=Radio Times|access-date=2 February 2014}} singer Christian Spridon,{{cite web|url=http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/britains-got-talent/175773-britains-got-talent-2014-spoilers-david-walliams-presses-the-golden-buzzer.html|title=Britain's Got Talent 2014 spoilers: David Walliams presses the golden buzzer!|last=Darvill|first=Josh|date=11 February 2014|publisher=TellyMix|access-date=16 February 2014}} girl group REAformed,{{cite web|url=http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/britains-got-talent/175854-alesha-dixon-last-judge-to-press-golden-buzzer-at-britains-got-talent-2014-auditions.html|title=Alesha Dixon last judge to press golden buzzer at Britain's Got Talent 2014|last=Scott|first=Matt|date=12 February 2014|publisher=TellyMix|access-date=16 February 2014}} and stand-up comedian/impressionist Toju,{{cite web|url=http://shows.stv.tv/britains-got-talent/news/276553-ant-and-dec-use-their-britains-got-talent-golden-buzzer-for-toju-okorodudu/|title=Ant and Dec use their Britain's Got Talent Golden Buzzer for Toju Okorodudu|date=25 May 2014|work=stv.tv|publisher=STV|access-date=26 May 2014}} each received a golden buzzer during their auditions (by Holden, Cowell, Walliams, Dixon and Ant & Dec respectively){{snd}} with nine appearing in each one, and eleven of these acts making it into the live final; the wildcard act chosen by the judges was impressionist Jon Clegg, after he lost out in the tied Judges' vote in the first semi-final. The following below lists the results of each participant's overall performance in this series:

:{{legend2|gold|Winner|border=1px solid #aaa}} | {{legend2|silver|Runner-up|border=1px solid #aaa}} | {{legend2|NavajoWhite|Finalist|border=1px solid #aaa}} | {{legend2|white|Semi-finalist|border=1px solid #aaa}}

:20px Judges' Wildcard Finalist | 20px Golden Buzzer Audition

• {{note|1|1}} Ages denoted for a participant(s), pertain to their final performance for this series.
• {{Note|2|2}} No information on the puppeteer for this act was disclosed by the show.

:20px Buzzed out | 20px Judges' vote | {{legend2|gold|Won the public vote|border=1px solid #aaa}}

:{{legend2|silver|Won the judges' vote|border=1px solid #aaa}} | {{legend2|#c96|Lost the judges' vote|border=1px solid #aaa}} | {{legend2|white|Eliminated|border=1px solid #aaa}}

• Guest performance: Ella Henderson ("Ghost"){{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/EllaHenderson/status/469454916436885504|title=I'm doing my first live TV performance of Ghost on the Britain's @GotTalent semi-final on Monday! SO excited! Tune in if you can guys E x|last=Henderson|first=Ella|date=22 May 2014|via=Twitter}}{{Primary source inline|date=October 2020}}

• {{note|3|3}} Jon Clegg was later sent through to the final as the judges wildcard.

• Guest performance: Ed Sheeran ("Sing"){{cite web|url=http://www.list.co.uk/article/61150-ed-sheeran-little-mix-to-perform-on-britains-got-talent/|title=Ed Sheeran, Little Mix to perform on Britain's Got Talent|date=23 May 2014|work=The List|access-date=23 May 2014}}

• {{note|4|4}} For health and safety reasons, Bolddog FMX Team's performance was pre-recorded outside the studio in advance.

• Guest performance: The Vamps ("Last Night"){{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TheVampsband/status/469470653616517120|title=Happy to announce we will be performing on @GotTalent #BGT next week. Retweet if you are as excited as Con|author=The Vamps|date=22 May 2014|via=Twitter}}{{Primary source inline|date=October 2020}}

• Guest performance: will.i.am & Cody Wise ("It's My Birthday"){{cite web|url=http://www.u.tv/Entertainment/William-to-make-BGT-debut/ad8cd61c-4809-48c8-bf9d-22669c1bc770|title=will.i.am to make BGT debut|date=22 May 2014|publisher=UTV|access-date=22 May 2014}}

• Guest performance: Attraction & Richard & Adam{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/insider/reigning-bgt-champs-attraction-return-to-the-semi-finals-stage|title=Attraction and Richard and Adam team up for exclusive BGT performance|date=22 May 2014|publisher=ITV|access-date=22 May 2014}}

• {{note|5|5}} Paddy & Nico's performance had to be slightly modified before the semi-final, after the former was injured before its broadcast.{{cite web |url=http://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/insider/paddy-nico-back |title=Breaking News: Paddy and Nico fit for BGT semi-final |date=30 May 2014 |access-date=31 May 2014}}

• Guest performance: Diversity & Little Mix ("Salute"){{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LittleMix/status/469441594866036736|title=We're gonna be performing Salute on the Britain's @GotTalent final with @Diversity_Tweet! We're so excited for this xx Little Mix xx|author=Little Mix|date=22 May 2014|via=Twitter|access-date=22 May 2014}}{{Primary source inline|date=October 2020}} &Cheryl Cole featuring Tinie Tempah ("Crazy Stupid Love"){{cite web|url=http://tellymix.co.uk/reality-tv/the-x-factor/183956-cheryl-cole-to-premiere-crazy-stupid-love-on-britains-got-talent-final.html|title=Cheryl Cole to premiere 'Crazy Stupid Love' on Britain's Got Talent final|last=Darvill|first=Josh|date=27 May 2014|publisher=TellyMix|access-date=27 May 2014}}

:{{legend2|gold|Winner|border=1px solid #aaa}} | {{legend2|silver|Runner-up|border=1px solid #aaa}}

• {{note|1|1}}Cowell buzzed Yanis Marshall, Arnaud and Mehdi, stating that their performance was 'boring and unoriginal'. This marks the only instance in Britain's Got Talent history that a buzzer was used in the live final of the competition.

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Category:2014 British television seasons

Category:Britain's Got Talent