BRITAIN’S GOT A LOT OF TALENT, BUT MAKING MUSIC IS OUR SUPERPOWER SKILL

By Michelle Phillips and Sarah Walters

There’s a reason why the best dog trainers, acrobats, magicians, and comedians will never connect with us as deeply as musicians.

This nation really loves a talent show. Watching members of the public show us what they can do – and be praised or be damned for doing it by a selection of the celebs we love or loathe – has become a Saturday night staple for millions of Brits.

I’m a longtime fan of the format and this year, as always, I’ve enjoyed joining the five million or so viewers every Saturday night to watch ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, which culminates in the grand final this Saturday evening, 31st May 2025.

I watch for many reasons: for the sheer entertainment, to wonder at our fellow humans from around the country (and more and more on the British version, the globe) displaying their talents, the spectacle of the big bucks show, and the fabulous presenting duo that Ant and Dec are. However, I watch for another reason, which is the one I want to share here; I watch to marvel at the concrete evidence BGT provides week-on-week of the vital role of music in human life. 

BGT contestants can show any talent at all. Commonly, we’ll see great displays of magic, dance, comedy, impressions, as well as gymnastics and stunts. But by far the most common talent that hopeful contestants offer to the viewing public is their music making.

In 16 of the last 17 series, no less than a third and as much as two thirds of all semi-finalists have been musicians. Those who make music – singers, instrumentalists, bands, choirs and novelty musicians (this year, one contestant played a Queen medley on tuned rubber chickens) – dominate the semi-finals. Even the professional entertainment after voting closes is (more often than not) a music-based act too, such as a singer or a musical theatre performance. Moreover, the data also confirms that musicians make up an even greater chunk of the finalists – no matter the selection system (whether using the previous system of one finalist chosen by the public and the second by the judges, or this year’s new ‘semi-final golden buzzer’, the outcome is the same). Seven of the 17 winners of the show to date have been musicians. Seven more made second place, and 10 came in third. The talent that we want to see more of, and vote for the most, is an ability to make and perform music.

Think of the famous acts to come through the show’s ranks since it first started in 2007: Susan Boyle, Paul Potts, Calum Scott, Collabro, Richard & Adam. Of the ten finalists performing on Saturday, half are musicians: three singers, one choir, and one guitarist. They include a bingo caller from Glasgow, a New York drag diva, an 11-year-old Welsh guitar prodigy, a choir of people impacted by the Post Office scandal, and a singing supermarket worker from Yorkshire, proving music is for everyone – a universal pleasure. Last year’s winner was singer and actor Sydnie Christmas. What’s also apparent from this list is the underdog factor; we love a talent for music that appears to have been overlooked – a person working in an everyday job who suddenly soars to stardom.

For me, BGT is not only a fun and entertaining way to spend a Saturday night at home with my family, it reaffirms why music is of critical importance in our lives. It’s part of who we are as a species; we value seeing musical talent in others, and we want to see, hear, and celebrate it. We vote for musical talent, we re-watch the performances endlessly on YouTube (BGT music auditions from the last month alone have millions of views), and we buy the music released by the winners in big enough numbers to make them chart topping stars.

Research shows us that this is not surprising. Humans have made music together throughout their history as a species, and there is strong evidence that humans sang and chanted together before they developed language at all. Ancient bone flutes show us that our oldest ancestors played musical instruments tens of thousands of years ago to communicate, for both ceremony and social celebration, and Charles Darwin proposed that our capacity for music developed as a means of attracting lovers. Generations of rock stars would no doubt confirm that Charlie was onto something…

BGT is a highly manicured, curated, and meticulously produced and edited show. It aims to get maximum viewership, to generate peak advertising revenue for ITV, and to benefit the production companies and other stakeholders by creating a new set of artists to sign and market. But its value lies not only in the profits to be made by Simon Cowell, ITV and others, but in something more intrinsic, more sentimental. It allows its viewers to bask in the joy of watching people thrive on practicing and showcasing their talents which, strikingly often, involves us hearing and watching people make music.

Britain’s Got Talent – now on its 18th series in the UK, and a format that has travelled all over the world – taps into our species’ desire to make music, to share it, and to value music talent in others. Music is part of who we are. Humans need music.