‘BGT’ Hosts Ant and Dec Hit Golden Buzzer for Magician Keiichi Iwasaki
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Britain’s Got Talent Season 15 returned over the weekend, as hosts Ant and Dec hit their Golden Buzzer for the season. The honor went to Japanese magician Keiichi Iwasaki, who charmed the judges and showed off some mind-bending tricks.
Magician Keiichi Iwasaki Earns ‘BGT’ Golden Buzzer
Keiichi started off by telling the judges that he wants to use the prize money to buy a boat so he can row on the Atlantic Ocean. As Simon Cowell remarked, “No one’s ever said that.”
The magician went on to invite hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly on stage for a card trick. He asked Donnelly to choose a card and then made it reappear under the host’s arm. It seemed pretty basic, until Keiichi started to make the card float in midair and even chase him around the stage.
He also folded a twenty-pound note without touching it, before inviting judge Alesha Dixon on stage for his coolest trick. Keiichi actually levitated a ring through the air and onto her finger, waving his hands around it to show that it apparently wasn’t held up by anything.
The judges gave Keiichi a standing ovation for the act. Before they could all give their final verdicts, Ant and Dec stepped out to hit the Golden Buzzer for Keiichi in an emotional moment. The magician hugged the hosts and thanked them for the gesture, which sends him straight to the live shows.
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The Magician Has Auditioned for Several Talent Shows
Keiichi’s BGT Golden Buzzer has reportedly sparked some backlash from fans, as the magician previously auditioned for several other Got Talent shows around the world — including Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
A spokesperson for BGT told the Daily Mail, “As with many other entertainers who are hoping for success in the industry, Keiichi, a street performer, had previously auditioned on television shows in the past. There are no rules that state this should prevent him from applying.”
Amanda Holden’s Golden Buzzer Loren Allred faced similar backlash earlier in the season, as she was the voice behind the popular Greatest Showman song “Never Enough.” Some fans seem to feel that the show should give attention to lesser-known performers.