British netizens are in an uproar after the K-pop group BLITZERS appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Their audition sparked widespread controversy, particularly because many believe international acts—especially those with an established fanbase—shouldn’t be competing on the show.

BLITZERS consists of members Chris, Jinhwa, Juhan, Lutan, Sya, and Wooju. They took to the stage before judges Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Bruno Tonioli, and Simon Cowell on the show’s sixth episode, which aired on May 18 in the UK. Formed three years ago by Wuzo Entertainment, BLITZERS have released three EPs and five singles, gaining significant popularity in South Korea. In 2021, they even won the Focus Award for Music at the Asia Artist Awards.

K-pop boyband BLITZERS (블리처스) cover Shawn Mendes hit | Auditions | BGT 2024

When Alesha asked the band about their dreams, one member responded, “Well, we’re the first K-pop band to be on Britain’s Got Talent. We’re honored to be here. From here, we really have a dream to go to Wembley Stadium. We have a lot of fans in South Korea, so we’d love to be famous in the UK.” 

The boys then performed a tightly choreographed cover of the Shawn Mendes hit “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back,” which Bruno proclaimed as “as good as anything I’ve seen around the world in the last fifty years.” Consequently, BLITZERS received four yeses from the judges and a standing ovation from the audience, delighting their fans.

BLITZERS’ journey continues

However, non-fans were less impressed. They took to social media to express their frustrations. The Britain’s Got Talent X account was inundated with criticism. Many viewers argued that BLITZERS, who already have a substantial following with nearly half a million Instagram followers, shouldn’t be on the show. One said that allowing them to participate was a “huge con” on the British public. 

Another viewer suggested BLITZERS were planted on the show. “Basically one of the largest kpop companies is debuting a British kpop group this year so I believe Simon wants to find his own all ready established group to compete against them so he can get his foot in the door of the kpop industry [sic].” Others criticized the group’s vocals, which they felt were lacking.

In 2018, a spokesperson for the show explained the inclusion of international acts to the British media outlet MailOnline. They stated, “Britain’s Got Talent features a range of home-grown talent, alongside some overseas acts. It’s a testament to the international success of past acts such as Susan Boyle and Paul Potts that overseas acts want to audition for the UK show.”

Despite the backlash, BLITZERS’ Britain’s Got Talent journey continues, with the group set to move on to the semi-finals. The show airs on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK. – K-Pop News Writer

Featured Image: Not everyone was happy to see them on a British talent show. Source: X/@StgrlInterlde.