Britain's Got Talent: Filming postponed due to coronavirus concerns

Thames TV L to R: David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, Ant and Dec, Amanda Holden and Ashley BanjoThames TV
The Christmas Day special saw Ashley Banjo (r) sit in for Simon Cowell

The filming of the next series of ITV show Britain's Got Talent has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.

Production on the show was due to begin later this month but will now start at a later date yet to be confirmed.

ITV said it had decided to move "the record and broadcast" of the show's 15th series" to safeguard "the well-being of everyone involved".

The filming of the programme's audition shows typically involves hundreds of people congregating en masse.

It is understood this has been considered to be unviable due to lockdown restrictions currently in place.

Writing on Twitter, ITV thanked viewers for their "continued love and support" for the long-running programme.

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The filming of last year's Christmas special was also postponed after at least three crew members tested positive for Covid-19.

The Christmas Day programme saw former contestants return to perform again alongside the show's panel of celebrity judges.

The show saw Ashley Banjo sit in for Simon Cowell, who spent much of last year recovering from an electric bicycle accident.

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