Britain's Got Talent's first-ever champion, opera singer Paul Potts, has opened up about his views on the current judging panel; Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, and Bruno Tonioli.
Back in 2007, Paul wowed judges Simon, Amanda, and then-judge Piers Morgan with his rendition of Nessun Dorma.
Reflecting on how the show has changed since then, he firstly remarked that Simon and Amanda have remained "pretty much the same" over the years.
"Simon and Amanda have been constants – Amanda's been there for every single series, and Simon only missed one. They're both very straightforward in how they do things," he said.
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Although Alesha Dixon wasn't judging during his time on the show, Paul has had a couple of encounters with her since.
He fondly recalled an encounter, sharing: "In fact, my wife and her sister once sang 'The Boy Does Nothing' in perfect unison to me, and I told Alesha about it. She loved that."
The singer also commented on the newest addition to the panel, Bruno, known for his exuberant personality.
"As for Bruno, sometimes he needs a bit of reining in, but he's getting into the flow of things," Paul observed, adding humorously: "I don't think he'll ever stop jumping up and down, though!"
In partnership with Sky Vegas, the 54-year-old added that he believes the former Strictly Come Dancing judge has comfortably "settled" into his new judging role, and will stick around for a while.
"Overall, the panel is really good. You definitely need someone with energy, and he's certainly got that," he remarked.
This year saw Bruno and Simon step aside occasionally due to other work commitments, paving the way for KSI to fill in, reports Belfast Live.
Subsequently, there's been talks about the guest judge securing a more permanent seat at the table. Familiar with the ins and outs of the show, Paul hasn't dismissed the idea of himself taking on a judging role down the line.
Reflecting on how he'd be as a judge, he continued: "I wouldn't want to become the new 'bad guy' like Simon Cowell or anything like that. That's not my style. But when I've been on judging panels before, I've always been straightforward – never rude or abrupt."
Meanwhile, Stacey Leadbeatter triumphed in last week's public vote with her knockout performance of Demi Lovato's, Anyone. She is now in the final alongside semi-final week one winner Vinnie McKee, and golden buzzer acts Olly Pearson and The Blackouts.
Tonight's third semi-final will see performances from gymnast Albert Amores, daredevil Bao, vocal groups Electric Umbrella and Jasmine Rice, soloist Mickey Callisto, dance duos Harry and Lewis, and Ping Pong Pang, capped by tunes from Rumac, all vying for a final slot.
Looking towards the final, Paul has suggested that fan-admired Stacey might need to make wiser song choices moving forward.
"I'm all for choosing songs that aren't as well-known, since we tend to overdo the same songs, but the arrangement either needed more energy or the song itself needed to be better," he expressed.
"Demi Lovato is a huge artist, but the performance just didn't have enough energy to really stand out. With a performance like that, I don't think it'll be enough to win the show."
He continued: "Singers often have a tougher time in the final because there's this perception that there are too many of them, and sometimes it's unfairly suggested that singing isn't a 'real' talent – which, of course, it absolutely is."
