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Round-up: just when you thought BGT couldn't get any better!

With the semi-finals just weeks away, the competition is hotting up on Britain's Got Talent!

This week's show kicked off in fabulous style with 29-year-old drag artist Aaron Carty who performed to a medley of Beyonce songs.

The former policeman turned heads in a sequinned leotard and killer heels (jealous, MUCH!), prompting admiration from David who remarked, "you make a very beautiful woman." Oooerr!

Essex dance troupe Entity Allstars bagged themselves a gold buzzer from Alesha

Next up was Mitch and Cally the Wonder Dog who, despite a spirited effort, didn't quite manage to pull off a world record attempt for the most balloons popped in a minute by a dog.

Then, old-fashioned stongman Daniel Crute demonstrated his brute strength by rolling up a frying pan (as you do), and hoisting our gorgeous Judge Amanda into the air... not to mention the rather substantial dinner she'd just eaten.

A trio of acts in part two left BGT's TOUGHEST Judge Alesha (yes, who knew!) reaching for her red buzzer. Even Simon was taken aback. "That's the laugh of someone who's shot another young hopeful down." OUCH!

Equilibrium was soon restored though with the arrival of 20-piece Essex dance troupe Entity Allstars onto the BGT stage.

Simon even spotted a familiar face in the crowd - he suggested they apply to appear on the show after one of the troupe supported his sister Lauren Platt on last year's X Factor - and they didn't disappoint.

The youngsters' energetic and sharply choreographed hip hop routine had the Judges enthralled from the get go.

"You're so good, you absolutely smashed it," says Alesha, before reaching for the golden buzzer this time.

Another dance act, UDI, travelled all the way from Siberia to show the Judges their ultraviolet light dance routine, bagging themselves four emphatic yeses in the process.

On the singing front, singer-songwriter Polly Rowley-Sams failed to impress anyone with her rather curious ditty about, err, dust mites, and Mark Ponting's 80s-inspired routine - complete with a keytar - managed to secure 26-year-old supermarket assistant a swift exit from the stage.

It was left to 18-year-old Ella Shaw and 50-year-old Alison Jiear to bring it home for the vocalists.

Ella from Blackburn amazed the audience and the Judges with her self-penned song Summertime, accompanying herself on the piano, and seriously impressing Simon in the process: "I think your'e mega mega talented," he gushed.

But it was backing singer Alison Jiear who brought Saturday's show to a spectacular close. After more than 30 years in the shadows, Alison, who's originally from Australia, shone during her two minutes in the spotlight, bringing the house down with her incredible performance of You'll Never Walk Alone from the hit musical Carousel.

"You've got two minutes to change your life, and in that two minutes we saw a star being born tonight," said David.

We couldn't have put it better ourselves!

Entity Allstars are a hip hop, skip and a jump away from a golden buzzer!Singer Ella hopes to warm the Judges' heartsWill singer Alison Jiear be walking home alone?Strongman Daniel hopes to raise the roof... and our Amanda!Will drag artist Aaron Carty run the (BGT) world?Will Mitch and Cally the Wonder Dog go out with a bang?Will Siberian dance troupe UDI be left out in the cold?Singer Mark REALLY loves the 80's, could this be the final countdown?

Logo of Britain's Got Talent
itv |

Apply now for BGT Series 18