Bradley Walsh delights fans with major announcement: 'Stop the clock'

Bradley Walsh has landed an exciting new TV gig – and fans couldn't be more thrilled! The beloved host and presenter, 66, has officially joined ITV's flagship show Britain's Got Talent as its latest guest judge.

The news was shared on Instagram in a joint post released by Bradley, Britain's Got Talent and ITV. The caption read: "It's time to put an end to those rumours...  We've got a new Guest Judge on the #BGT panel – it's Bradley Walsh!"

In the playful behind-the-scenes video, long-standing judge Amanda Holden, 55, teased fans, asking: "Oh my goodness, have you heard the rumours about our Guest Judge on Britain's Got Talent?"

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"I heard that he's going to be on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury with Mr Tumble," she joked. 

Fellow panelist and YouTuber KSI, 33, added: "I heard he made a diss track on me," while Alesha Dixon, 48, chimed in: "I heard that he's a table tennis world champion…"

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The camera finally panned to Bradley, who said: "Stop the clock, that is wrong. It's me, Bradley Walsh."

Watch the announcement in the video below. 

Fans were quick to express their delight in the comments section. One person wrote: "Great choice, looking forward to seeing him on the panel," while another added: "This is great Brad, I cannot wait, I think you ought to be permanent anyway."

Simon Cowell's absence

Bradley's appearance on the judging panel comes just weeks after Simon Cowell dropped out of filming due to a back operation.

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Simon has undergone a series of procedures over the last few years after falling off his electric bike and breaking his back in 2020. 

The media mogul, who needed six hours of extensive surgery, said the incident gave him a "completely different outlook" on life. 

© Dave Benett/Getty Images for Sim

"I was so close to living the rest of my life in a wheelchair, it gives you a completely different outlook on life in a positive way," he told The Sun in 2023. "It hurt – trust me – when it ­happened, but good things happened off the back of it."

When is the next series of Britain's Got Talent?

Applications are now open for the 20th season of Britain's Got Talent, which will return next year. 

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A release date has yet to be confirmed, but given the last two series began in February, a similar launch date is expected for 2027.