What did you miss?
Simon Cowell admitted he felt “slightly uncomfortable” when he saw himself turned into a green witch during the latest semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent.
BGT act RASK AI once again used AI technology to appear as the judges sang a series of musical songs and pop hits. Cowell appeared as green witch Elphaba from the West End show Wicked and sang Defying Gravity. But despite admitting it felt strange to watch himself perform on stage, Cowell called the AI’s camera act “genius” and the best of the year.
What, how and why?
All judges loved seeing their own likeness used during the singing hologram act RASK AI. As with their audition, the singers appeared live on stage and sang, but camera technology was used to superimpose the deep fake versions of the judges’ faces on them.
Bruno Tonioli’s image was used to sing Mary Poppins’ Supercalifragilistic, Alesha Dixon’s AI fake sang Proud Mary as Tina Tina, Amanda Holden sang Abba’s Dancing Queen with presenters Ant and Dec and Cowell was Wicked’s Elphaba, singing Defying Gravity.
All the judges loved seeing themselves on stage and as far as they were concerned the act was a big hit. In their original audition, RASK AI had used the judges’ faces for characters from the musical The Greatest Showman, singing the uplifting tune This Is Me.
Holden told them: “Before you came on, Alesha and I said you wouldn’t be able to do us again, but you did and it was even better. Especially for me as the biggest ABBA fan ever.”
Cowell said: “I got the short end of the stick… That was a little awkward at times, but I was asked this question earlier about what makes a great audition, and it’s unique and memorable. Something you’ll do. Remember, in a week, a month, a yes. That was such a different level to what we’ve seen so far tonight, it was brilliant and one of my favorite live show performances of the year so far.
Some viewers were skeptical about the AI technology used for the performance. While others saw a resemblance between Cowell and another TV judge and singer when the latter was painted green. Some said Cowell while Elphaba looked like Take That Gary Barlow.
One wrote on social media platform
What else happened on Britain’s Got Talent?
But despite being a hit with the judges, RASK AI was not voted through to the life finale. The acts selected from the final semi-final were Amanda Holden’s Golden Buzzer act Sydnie Christmas. The singer faced backlash from BGT viewers who complained that the singer was professional, and not just a lowly talent show contestant. She trained at the D&B Academy of Performing Arts in London in 2014, worked as a singer on cruise ships, performed in musicals, had small roles in films and even appeared in the reality show Stage School.
Also voted through were comedian Mike Woodhams and singer Callum Scott.
Britain’s Got Talent continues on Thursday at 8pm on ITV1.
