Dec blames weather as Britain's Got Talent goes off air
- Published
Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent
The stormy weather has been causing all sorts of problems across the UK - not least for the first live semi-final of Britain's Got Talent.
Monday night's show went off air for several minutes, as ITV showed an apology and footage of former winners auditioning.
Declan Donnelly is hosting the live shows alone this year while fellow presenter Ant McPartlin takes time off.
Judge Simon Cowell joked: "Ant, you are coming back next year - don't do that!"
Ant announced he was stepping away for a while from his TV roles following his arrest in March. He later pleaded guilty to drink driving and was given a 20-month driving ban and an £86,000 fine.
Shameer Rayes was one of the semi-finalists on Monday's show
When BGT came back on air, Dec apologised for "technical problems" due to the weather during the early part of the show, which is broadcast from the Hammersmith Apollo in west London.
He joked: "Going well so far!"
He also repeated voting information for anyone who had missed it.
Dec told the audience and viewers that nothing had changed since the last series, with the same judges and format, then added: "And the presenters... well, probably best not to dwell on that."
Another judge, David Walliams, later joked that Dec looked "a little tense" and offered him a massage.
Fans were impressed with Dec going solo.
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There was also an apology for the technical hitch on the BGT Twitter account.
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But one viewer tweeted in response about the first act, Cali Swing: "Annoyed that #Caliswing didn't get to speak or receive feedback on TV with judges!! Unfair to start with! They were fantastic!!!", external
It's not the first time Dec has hosted solo - he presented the last two episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway earlier this year without Ant.
Ant and Dec usually present the show together
The rest of the semi-finals will air throughout this week, with the final going out on Sunday.
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