The first episode of Britain's Got Talent, which returned on Saturday night, was full of surprises – but the biggest shock of all was when Ant and Dec pressed the golden buzzer! Usually reserved for later on in the series, the double act couldn't resist sending magician Marc Spelmann, from North London, straight to the live shows after his emotional performance, which left Ant - as well as the judges and audience watching - in tears.
Ant McPartlin was moved to tears after hearing Marc Spelmann's story
Marc stunned the presenters and judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon after he performed a trick that also involved his wife and their baby daughter, Isabelle. He explained to the judges that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with Isabelle, two, and how his daughter had miraculously survived her mum undergoing chemo during her pregnancy. He included little Isabelle in his performance via a video montage, and viewers and judges alike were moved to tears.
Ant and Dec pressed the golden buzzer for Marc
Simon said he was left "gobsmacked" by the trick, which involved Isabelle saying the word 'hat' in a video made two years ago when she was a baby – the same word that Simon had randomly circled in a Harry Potter book in the present. Alesha had also randomly picked a playing card of a penguin out of a deck, and the video showed Isabelle sleeping with her penguin toy years ago.
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David had selected a red crayon out of a box filled with other colours, but the video showed Isabelle only drawing with her favourite crayon – a red one. Amanda was further astounded when she formed a random pattern on a Rubik's cube; the video, which was again filmed in the past, showed Isabelle forming the exact same pattern. Magic!
Marc had everyone in awe
The judges were left in awe, with Simon declaring it was "real magic". Watching from the wings, Ant wiped away tears after the magician's incredible performance. After the judges gave their comments, he and Dec rushed out to press the golden buzzer, sending Marc straight through to the live shows. "It was remarkable," Ant told Marc, giving him a hug.
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The episode was particularly poignant for viewers at home, as Ant is currently in rehab. The TV star was arrested and charged with drink-driving last month, and has since stepped down from work commitments. Ant will still appear in the first few episodes of the series – the auditions – as they were filmed in January, but Dec will continue to present the rest of the series alone.