where is britain's got talent semi finals held
Britain's Got Talent Contestants that make it into the semi-finals after both stages (or, from series 8, received the Golden Buzzer), perform once more before an audience and the judges, with their performance broadcast on live television; until the tenth series, live episodes were filmed at The Fountain Studios in Wembley, the same site used for The X Factor, but for the eleventh series, the show was broadcast from Elstree Studios. Like the Audition stage of the contest, they must attempt to impress by primarily conducting a new routine of their act within the same span of time; the judges can still use a buzzer in the semi-finals if they are displeased with a performance, and can end it early if all the buzzers are used, and can still give a personal opinion about an act when the performance is over, but neither of these impact how the semi-finalists fare at this stage of the contest, only the last part of this stage. As only two semi-finalists from each semi-final may proceed on to the Final, which two is determined by two different types of votes given towards the end - a public phone vote, and a judges' vote.
Britain's Got Talent Contestants of any age, who possess some sort of talent, can audition for the show, with their performance judged by a panel of judges; the current lineup consists of Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Walliams. Those that make it through the auditions compete against other acts in a series of live semi-finals, with the winning two acts of each semi-final proceeding into the show's live final. The prize for winning the contest is a cash prize (the amount varying over the show's history), and an opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in front of members of the British Royal Family, including either Queen Elizabeth II or the Prince of Wales. To date, the show has had twelve winners, ranging from musicians and singers to variety acts, magicians and dancers.