BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT TO AIR MAGIC-THEMED SPECIAL ON ITV

The one-off special is set to air later this year.

ITV have commissioned a special one-off edition of Britain's Got Talent which will focus on magic acts. The as yet untitled special will be developed by Simon Cowell, produced by Thames and air on ITV later this year.

The special programme will see ten magic acts from previous series of Britain's Got Talent and global Got Talent series battle it out to be crowned the ultimate magician and win £50,000.

A source told The Sun: "BGT might not have been on air for fifteen-odd years, but Simon thinks there's still so much life in the format. If you look at the ratings, viewers still love the madcap mix of talents...

"He sees honing in on a specific theme as a really nice way forward and what better way to start than with magic. Over the years the Got Talents all over the world have unearthed some amazing magic acts...

"Of course, if the magical contest is successful when it airs, it paves the way for a raft of themed specials." Britain's Got Talent: The Magicians is to film in Birmingham with a live studio audience this Autumn.

The magician line-up has not been confirmed by ITV, however The Sun speculate that BGT semi-finalist Marc Spelmann and former winner Richard Jones are to return for the special.

Meanwhile, ITV have confirmed that the 'normal' series of Britain's Got Talent will return in 2023.

More details will be revealed in due course.