Paul Potts calls for big change to Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts wants one thing to change about the ITV variety show to give more homegrown wannabes a chance.
Paul Potts thinks Britain's Got Talent should ban performers who have previously reached the final of international versions of the programme.
The 55-year-old tenor - who won the first series of the ITV show in 2007 - said the move will give more homegrown wannabes a chance to showcase their work.
Paul told Sky Vegas: "One thing I do think the show needs to look at, though, is contestants who’ve already made finals on other Got Talent franchises.
"Last week, there were acts who’ve done multiple Got Talent shows around the world. Personally, I think if you’ve already made the final of another Got Talent series, you probably shouldn’t be eligible to compete again on another standard series.
"All-Star editions are different, but the regular versions should give new people a chance."
Paul would scrap the Golden Buzzer, which allows the judges to send a performer straight through to the semi-final.
He explained: "I wouldn’t call it rigged, but I don’t really see the purpose of the Live Golden Buzzer unless it’s for something truly exceptional.
"Before, you had the judges’ vote and the public vote, but a lot of the time, it ended up going to a deadlock anyway, so the judges weren’t really making the decision.
"The problem now is that the Golden Buzzer can play into one judge’s personal bias or preference. Once that Golden Buzzer has gone, everyone else is suddenly under more pressure because they can only get through by winning the public vote.
"It makes things harder for the other acts, and I’m not convinced it’s an improvement.
"I think the old system worked reasonably well, although maybe they needed an odd number of judges instead of four so it couldn’t keep ending in a deadlock.
"If there were five judges, someone would always have to decide instead of constantly pushing it back onto the public."
Paul has released six studio albums and performed in 45 countries since winning Britain's Got Talent with his performance of Nessun dorma.
And representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest may be next for the star.
He said: "I would consider representing the UK on Eurovision, but it would need to be a song that would authentically fit with me.
"Eurovision is a spectacle and one that can assist in singers’ careers, but I don’t think it is treated as seriously here in the UK as in Europe, where there are mass viewings for the earlier rounds that the UK doesn’t participate in.
"While we get a bye to the final, it does mean that we are more disconnected from the other countries."
