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Serial Prankster Claims Britain’s Got Talent Is Totally Faked

Serial Prankster Claims Britain’s Got Talent Is Totally Faked

He's not the first one to claim this, but he reckons he's got evidence.

Anonymous

Anonymous

In Britain's Greatest Hoaxer, Simon Brodkin dresses up as an Orthodox Jew, raps a patriotic song about Britain, gets through Britain's Got Talent auditions and secretly films it all for his show.

It's kind of unsurprising that they didn't realise it was a joke - they get a lot of odd people auditioning for the talent show, but I think that may be the first Orthodox Jewish rapper.

The serial hoaxer is best known by his stage name, Lee Nelson, and it's not the first prank he's pulled - but it's the first one he's filmed backstage for his new tv series.

And ironically, the hoaxer is calling Britain's Got Talent "manipulative" and "contrived".


Credit: Britain's Greatest Hoaxer

All the sob stories that you hear on Britain's Got Talent are pulled out of the poor people - the producers coax the contestants into saying the answers they think will make for the best ratings. And apparently the producers insist on filming fake scenes, of celebrating and commiserating before they even audition! It's basically scripted.

Simon went to audition for the producers in Manchester as Steven Goldblatt and saw firsthand how manipulated reality TV is - and recorded it on camera to show us.

He said: "This show sets itself up as a pure, simple, innocent talent show. I don't think it's that. It is contrived, manipulative and you don't need to have talent.

"Shortly before I went in front of the judges I was advised what to say and how to present my act.


Undergoing his image change. Credit: Britain's Greatest Hoaxer

"A lot is recreated and manipulated. My arrival, registration and leaving were all staged. I was given direction as to how to act and they reshot each stage several times.

"Once backstage they asked me to look nervous, happy, frustrated, excited etc, filming as many emotions as possible so they have the building blocks to build their own narrative."

He was told to change his song to one the judges would like better, and had to fill out a 13-page questionnaire asking probing questions into his personal life.

Credit: PA

He said: "You don't have to have talent to be successful on the show. Having very little talent certainly isn't a barrier to success on BGT. Some careful box fixing and a decent sob story can get you a long way, as proven with Steven Goldblatt."

To be honest, Simon, I think we knew that already.

Britain's Greatest Hoaxer?

It's not the first time that Simon has decided to infiltrate one of Simon Cowell's talent shows - a few years ago he stormed the stage as his character Lee Nelson while Stereo Kicks are performing.

The baffled looks on the boyband's faces is hilarious - and to be honest, he only improved the performance.


Credit: X Factor

And he also stormed the stage at Glastonbury in 2015 while Kanye West was headlining. Can't imagine that Weezy took that one well.


But what really made Simon Brodkin's name - well, as Lee Nelson - is the time he took on Sepp Blatter.

Simon travelled to Switzerland to go to a press conference with the then FIFA director, who was being accused of corruption and accepting bribes. He threw £500 worth of notes at him and shouted: "This is for Korea in 2026!"

Britain's Greatest Hoaxer airs tomorrow, 7 February, at 10pm on Channel 4.

Words by Laura Hamiliton

Featured Image Credit: Britain's Greatest Hoaxer / Britain's Got Talent

Topics: Britain's Got Talent