BGT boss Simon Cowell shuts down golden buzzer ‘fix’ row as audience member Max Fox sails through to semi-finals
He said he’d waited nearly two decades to audition…
20 Apr 2025, 11:32
Tags: Amanda Holden, BGT, Britain’s Got Talent, Entertainment, Simon Cowell
The final BGT audition show of 2025 came under fire last night as Amanda Holden pressed her golden buzzer for the second time.
Singer Max Fox stunned the Britain’s Got Talent judges with his performance of Frank Sinatra’s My Way. The song was so good it prompted Amanda to jump out of her seat and press the golden buzzer, sending him straight through to the live semi-finals.
However, Max’s audition quickly sparked fix claims, after he shouted from the audience and pleaded with Simon Cowell to let him sing.
BGT 2025 embroiled in golden buzzer ‘fix’ row
During the final round of auditions on Saturday (April 19), singer Max Fox stunned both the audience and judges when he shouted out and begged to sing for the judges.
Simon, 65, Amanda, 54, Alesha Dixon, 46, and guest panellist KSI, 31, were left baffled by the outburst and were convinced it was a production set up.
Max explained that he had tried to audition for 19 years but had never got through. As a result, after landing a space in the audience, he begged Simon for a chance to take to the stage and perform.
So this isn’t a set up? You just chanced it?
He pleaded: “Can you give me one opportunity? I can show you what I’ve got.”
Simon stood up and asked: “Come here, are you serious? Hang on, is this a wind-up?”
As Max made his way towards the stage, security intervened, but Simon urged them to let him through. Simon repeatedly asked if it was a set-up, with Max insisting: “No, I’m a singer, I’m a local singer. My name’s Max, Max Fox. I feel like it’s my last time.”
After much deliberation, Simon agreed, telling him: “Alright, go do it. So this isn’t a set up? You just chanced it?” Max replied: “I just chanced it, yeah. I got at the front of the audience and I just got lucky with this jacket, I think!” he said, referring to the outfit he was wearing.
As Max headed backstage to prepare, Simon turned to a crew member and said: “He wants to sing a song.” However, they told him: “He can’t just go on now, we need to get a track. We’ll get his track and sort him out.”
The show continued with the scheduled auditions. And Max eventually returned to the stage as the final audition of the series. The audience loved him, and chanted for one of the panel to press the golden buzzer. Despite everyone having pressed it before, Amanda got up out of her seat and whacked it for a second time, sending Max through to the live shows.
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What. A. Moment!
Max Fox’s totally unplanned audition scores him a GOLDEN BUZZER! https://t.co/7yeTdjD0ai#BGT #BritainsGotTalent pic.twitter.com/h1VtMZdH0O
— BGT (@BGT) April 19, 2025
Fix complaints
However, the entire thing sparked fix claims with viewers, who took to social media to reveal that they thought it was a set up.
“For me, the most frustrating thing about that ‘man in the audience stunt’ is that the producers think we are seriously that gullible. That stupid. That we will actually believe that is true. How arrogant of them,” said one viewer.
Another added: “Was he good? Yes But to give a golden buzzer to a chancer in the audience means there’s no point next year in auditioning for #BGT – just shout out in the audience.”
A third added:”If it wasn’t set up and all the golden buzzers had gone.. why did they feel the confetti back up?”
“The golden buzzers have become a total joke now, they used to and are supposed to have one each. Now they seem to just press whenever they feel like it,” another added.
“Golden buzzer doesn’t mean anything any more, about time they got rid of it altogether,” another said.
“Max was good but not brilliant and definitely NOT golden buzzer worthy. Sorry not sorry!!! Such a set up! The golden buzzer has lost its purpose and now it’ll be used in the semi-finals too,” another said.
Simon hits back
Perhaps preempting the complaints, Simon told the Mirror before last night’s episode aired: “I think I should be wired to a lie detector machine in the future to prove I’m speaking the truth. Because when something like this happens people instantly shout fix.
“In this case, do you really think I could be bothered to plant someone in the audience? No. But that’s exactly what happened. I knew it was genuine because of the way the security team reacted. He looked like he was going to try and break onto the stage or get to me.”
The BGT live shows start next Saturday (April 26) on ITV1.
