Bruno Tonioli's BGT replacement KSI pictured for first time with judges and Ant and Dec

We're yet to celebrate Halloween and Christmas 2024 but Britain's Got Talent is already ringing in the new year and looking ahead to 2025.

The show's judges , , and special guest judge KSI have gathered in Blackpool Winter Gardens to mark the new series getting underway ahead of airing next year. New dad and , hosts of the long-running series, also showed their faces.

And in a new official photo released by ITV, YouTuber KSI has been pictured in the hotseat next to his fellow judges and hand hovering near the golden buzzer.

It comes after it was revealed that boxer and musician KSI is set to receive a golden buzzer on , despite only appearing in one episode as a guest judge. The social media sensation, 30, will step in for in the upcoming 18th season of ITV's popular talent show. The forthcoming season is being filmed at an unusual time to fill the void left by Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway in ITV's February-April schedule.

Due to this change, the audition rounds are being filmed earlier than usual, clashing with Bruno's commitments to Dancing With The Stars in the USA. Despite only standing in for a few days, KSI will be given the privilege to hit the golden buzzer, which fast-tracks audition hopefuls straight to the live finals.

There are suggestions that KSI may return for the live episodes to monitor his contestants, with ITV keen to leverage his massive social media following of over 80 million fans. When present for auditions, Bruno will also have the opportunity to hit the golden buzzer, as will regular judges Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and hosts Ant and Dec.

"Bosses were keen for KSI to appear much like a full-time judge would, given he's due to stand in for a number of days. It means there will be one more Golden Buzzer act this year, with the remaining judges and hosts Ant and Dec also given an opportunity to press it. It will no doubt make the finals more exciting, to see which judge is best at picking a winner," a source told The Sun last month.

Meanwhile, the hunt for Britain's Got Talent 2025 stars has been on since May this year, with fans urged to throw their hats into the ring via in-person auditions, video submissions, entries, or by putting forward someone else through the official application portal.

Earlier in the year, Simon Cowell couldn't hide his delight about the show's ongoing success and renewal by ITV, as he gushed to the Daily Mail: "I always thought, if we could get three or four years out of this it would be amazing and then you reach 10 years and go that's a milestone.."

"People come from all over the to compete and it's not just winning the show it's having that viral moment that can literally change your life overnight... that's why people are going to come back year after year after year and hopefully keep competing and get better... I think it's going to be here for a long, long time."

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