Britain’s Got Talent judges can be seen screaming in terror, with Amanda Holden running off the stage, in a teaser for the show’s upcoming magician spin-off episode.
The one-off special will see 10 magical acts who have appeared on Got Talent shows globally compete to be crowned “The Ultimate Magician” and take home a £50,000 prize.
Regular judges Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams are joined by magician Penn Jillette of duo Penn & Teller for the episode.
This comes as Walliams’ future as a BGT judge remains “up in the air”, according to a spokesperson for the show, after the comedian apologised for making “disrespectful comments” about contestants during breaks in filming of the popular show.
In a teaser clip released ahead of the spin-off, which is due to air on December 18, a magician known as The Witch returns to haunt the judges.
Dressed in black ragged clothing, the performer makes Dixon read from a storybook and as she tells the tale he reveals items hidden underneath boxes including a dish of maggot-infested fruit, a jack-in-the-box and a teddy bear.
The magician asks Jillette what word he has in his mind to which he says “chaos”, which Dixon also reads from the storybook before confetti rains like snow from the sky.
As the performer pulls out a snake from the teddy bear, Holden can be seen running off the stage screaming “I hate snakes”.
Another first-look clip offers a sneak peek of the performance by Magical Bones, where his wrists are handcuffed before he is put inside a chained box.
A female assistant then stands up on the box and drops a velvet cloak to reveal she has switched places with the magician, leaving the judges speechless.
Stephen Mulhern will host this special edition.
ITV has said Britain’s Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician was filmed in October, before an article by the Guardian emerged reporting that Walliams had been recorded making derogatory remarks and sexually explicit comments about participants auditioning at the London Palladium in January 2020.
According to a leaked transcript seen by the newspaper, it is suggested Walliams referred to an older performer as a “c***” three times when he was out of earshot, following an unsuccessful audition.
During his audition, the contestant had engaged in light-hearted banter with the judges in which he made a jibe about Walliams, it has been reported.
The transcript also suggests further sexually explicit comments were made after a female contestant had walked off the stage.
In a statement released after the report broke, Walliams said: “I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain’s Got Talent in 2020.
“These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”
In a previously released statement, Thames TV said: “Although relating to a private conversation almost three years ago, the language used was inappropriate.
“Even though it was private, those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show’s expectations as to future professional conduct.”
Britain’s Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician will air on December 18 at 8pm on ITV1.
