Britain’s Got Talent is back for 2026 and this time, KSI is officially joining the judging panel permanently after previously filling in as a guest judge.
The ITV talent series returns for its 19th season this weekend, with YouTuber and boxer KSI taking over full-time from Bruno Tonioli. Tonioli has quit the show due to a filming schedule clash, after serving as a judge for three series.
KSI first appeared on the BGT panel during the 2025 series as a temporary stand-in for Tonioli. Now, he’ll sit alongside long-running judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.
KSI said: “I’m so grateful and happy to be a part of the Britain’s Got Talent team for another season. I had such a good time last year and I can’t wait to see some more top talent. I’m full of energy, ready to go, and can’t wait to make this the most entertaining BGT season ever. Let’s do this.”
When does Britain’s Got Talent 2026 start?
Britain’s Got Talent returns for its 19th series this weekend, launching on ITV1 at 7pm on Saturday, 21 February.
The show’s judging line-up has remained notably stable over the years. Two of the current judges — Cowell and Holden — have been on the panel since the programme launched in 2007.
Current BGT Judges in 2026
Simon Cowell
Cowell has been a constant since the show began and also oversees America’s Got Talent in the U.S. While The X Factor has been shelved, BGT continues to grow.
On why the show still works, Cowell said: “It’s that surprise element of never knowing what’s coming next. As much as I love music shows, you know a singer’s followed by another singer. With this show, when we are watching the auditions or when my friends are watching it back, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. People still think after all these years that I know what’s happening during auditions, no one tells us anything. We have no idea who’s coming on until they appear on stage.”
He also credited viral moments for expanding the show’s reach: “When I go out, people come up to me from every corner of the world to say they’ve seen this clip or that clip online, it’s kind of cool that wherever you go, people have seen what you do. I am proud of that.”
Amanda Holden teased Cowell’s return to sharper critiques this year: “We’ve got the old Simon back, and I prefer him to be straight talking because that is what we know him for, and that’s his trademark. He’s back, and his one-liners are better than ever, and I’m loving that!”
Amanda Holden
Holden has served as a judge since the very first series and has seen every panel change over the years.
This year, she briefly filled in as head judge while Cowell was away — and she didn’t enjoy it.
“I must admit I hated sitting in that seat! I’ve been on the show the longest, so I understand why I probably need to sit in that seat, but when I was there, I felt very outcast on the end. It’s ok if your team are sat to the left of you, Simon’s got dozens of staff and family watching from the side and communicating with him. Mine all decided to eat my snacks and sit in the dressing room paying no attention to the show or me whatsoever!
“Simon said to me, ‘You must have loved it. Did you feel powerful?’ I said I hated it because I had to keep leaning in to be part of the conversation. I never want to sit in that seat again! I’m juicy in the middle, it’s such a good spot.”
Speaking about how long she’s been with the show, Holden said: “Well, I’m just thrilled to still be here first of all!…The amount of people who came on this year and said they remember watching it when they were five or very young, I was like, ‘God, I feel old!’ But it’s amazing to have reached this milestone and I still have the honour of being on the panel.”
She also described how far the show’s fame stretches: “I get stopped in all sorts of weird places, like in the middle of the sea, you know when you swim out to a sunbathing platform, somebody says something and you realise they’re talking about BGT. I’ve had it when I’ve been fishing too. It’s just really odd places. It’s normally when I’m on holiday though. I remember when I got off a plane once in Dubai and there was a poster with all us judges on it that ran for about a mile along the stretch of motorway. You just go, ‘oh my God, it’s massive over here!’ It’s incredible. I love it.”
Alesha Dixon
Dixon joined the judging panel in 2012 after being recruited from the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. She reflected on the show’s longevity and what keeps it special.
“Amanda being there from the start and her daughter Lexi, literally growing up with the show, it’s kind of amazing really…The show has been going so long, what a testament to everyone that has worked on the show.”
She added: “Every single person has a story to tell. That, to me, is what makes it magical because I just love hearing people’s stories and finding out about people and what’s brought them to this point in their life. That is the heart and soul of it. I think that’s what gives it its edge…It celebrates everything that is amazing about Britain, but at the same time embraces the world and the multiculturalism that we are blessed to have in this country, too.
“It’s got so many pluses to it and I think it should be treasured because I can’t think of another show on television that my entire family, from my nan to my kids, watch. So I just feel super, super lucky to still be a part of such a brilliant show that is loved by so many people.”
Ahead of the 2026 launch, Dixon said: “Every year there’ll be an act that reminds me why this show is important. The platform it gives to good and to doing the right thing and people speaking up for what’s right. I love that we don’t shy away from those things. In the past we’ve had so many different acts, whether it was last series with the post office choir, or a charity, each year people speak up.
“I feel proud of the show when it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects and the things that challenge and unite us in our everyday real lives. It feels incredible that arguably one of the biggest shows on television, a representation of Great Britain, speaks on the things affecting the country right now, and to do it in a creative, clever way that leaves food for thought.”
KSI
KSI joins the panel permanently in 2026 and says it takes a lot to impress him, particularly in the age of viral trends.
“I’ve seen a lot of content, so much content. So to impress me, it takes a lot. And I think that’s why whenever I see something that a few of the judges and audience think is great, I’m like, ‘I’ve seen this so many times. I know how this is done. This isn’t new to me’. As soon as we post it, as soon as this goes on live television, a lot of people are gonna be like, ‘oh, we’ve seen this before’. Or even if you post on social media, a lot of people will be like, ‘oh, we’ve seen this before’.
“For me, if something really impresses me, I’m gonna be like, ‘wow, this is sick. I haven’t seen anything like this online. This is special, this is going to go far and I know this is going to go viral’.”
Holden praised what KSI brings to the panel, saying: “He looks at everything through a social media lens and what will work and won’t work on TikTok. That is what we pride ourselves on at Britain’s Got Talent, always moving with the times and reinventing the show or bits of the show over the last 19 years, which is why I think it’s succeeded and worked for so long.
“Having KSI on the end (of the desk) is a stroke of genius. I just love him. He’s got great energy. He’s up for stuff. KSI and I socialise together; it’s just heaven on a stick behind the scenes.”
KSI described becoming a full-time judge as a major moment: “When I got the call up to be a full-time judge, I was like, ‘wow, all right, this is big. Let’s go’. So, I was very excited. And it was good to see all the judges again, they were all just super welcoming and they were just very happy to see me again, it was super smooth. All the filming was great.”
On Ant and Dec’s podcast, he added: “The filming that we did on BGT for this season, I thought it was incredible. I thought it was personally, for me, one of the best seasons we’ve ever had. It felt like the levels went up hugely. That’s why people want to watch; they want to constantly see elevation, and to see judges being honest, and telling them how it is. I felt like all of us were properly honest. Maybe I was a little bit more brutal than Alesha and Amanda…”
Ant agreed: “You were far more brutal this time than you were last time. When you were just a guest judge, you were very polite and nice. This time – woah!”
KSI laughed: “It felt like old school Simon.”
The judges will also be joined by Stacey Solomon as a stand-in for Cowell for a day of the 2026 auditions.
A Look Back at Previous BGT Judges
Cheryl, the judge who almost was
Cowell revealed he originally wanted Cheryl — then known as Cheryl Cole — for the show’s first judging line-up, but she pulled out shortly before filming began.
“She is our Britain’s Got Talent queen and she deserves that crown. And you know what? She was an interesting booking because we’d offered the role to Cheryl Cole, as she was known in those days.
“A week before filming, she calls me and goes, ‘I just can’t do it’ and wouldn’t give me a reason. I think she was freaked out. We literally had two judges and a week to book someone. I just knew it had to be Amanda because I’d met her and I really liked her, she was very funny and I just thought she’d fit the show perfectly.
“Fast forward 18 years and she’s still a huge success and we have become great friends. I do consider her one of my best friends. And Alesha and Bruno, are genuinely friends in real life too.”
2007–2010: Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Piers Morgan
The original panel had three judges. Kelly Brook was added during series three but ended up credited as a guest judge after producers decided four judges made things too complicated. Louis Walsh also appeared as a guest judge during series four when Cowell fell ill.
2011: Amanda Holden, David Hasselhoff, Michael McIntyre
A major shake-up came in series five when Morgan departed and Cowell focused on The X Factor USA. Holden was the only original judge to remain across the full series, with Hasselhoff and McIntyre joining temporarily. Cowell returned as a fourth judge for the live shows. Both Hasselhoff and McIntyre later declined to return.
2012–2022: Cowell, Holden, Dixon, David Walliams
This became the longest-running line-up, spanning a full decade. It included guest judges at times, such as Carmen Electra (covering Holden during maternity leave) and Ashley Banjo (standing in for Cowell after his e-bike accident).
Walliams left after The Guardian reported leaked audio from 2020 auditions containing derogatory comments about contestants. He later said: “I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and — like most conversations with friends — were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”
2023–2025: Cowell, Holden, Dixon, Bruno Tonioli
Tonioli joined in 2023 after leaving Strictly Come Dancing’s judging panel, replacing Walliams. He exited after three seasons due to schedule conflicts and returned focus to his U.S. work on Dancing With The Stars.
He said: “After three incredible series, I’ve sadly had to walk away from a job which has opened my eyes to so much incredible talent and step down as a judge on BGT.
“And whilst I look forward to filming a new series of Dancing With The Stars in the US, I will miss the chaos and joy that BGT brings, as well as all the wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of working with.
“They truly are a brilliant team who make brilliant television, and I know KSI will be a fantastic judge too, as he’s already proven this year.”
Cowell also spoke about the panel’s closeness: “We do like each other at work but also in our private lives, too. There’s this amazing shorthand with us, and I’d say that is definitely the case with me and (hosts) Ant and Dec, too.”
2026: Cowell, Holden, Dixon, KSI
The 2026 season locks in the new permanent line-up, with KSI officially taking Tonioli’s seat after his guest appearance last year.