BRITAIN’S Got Talent has sparked anger with a crossbow prank that saw Simon Cowell “shot” on stage.
Blindfolded new judge Bruno Tonioli fired the weapon and was tricked into thinking he hit Cowell in Salford, Gtr Manchester.
Genuine crossbow attack victim Laura Sugden said: “It’s disgraceful.”
A woman wounded in a crossbow attack that killed her partner has blasted a Britain’s Got Talent prank involving the weapon saying: “It’s no joke”.
Laura Sugden added: “I can’t believe it’s even allowed on the show. It’s not regulated, but it’s a lethal weapon.
“I’ve been in a situation where I’ve lost somebody. For Britain’s Got Talent to showcase that as a prank I just find disrespectful.
“There will be people watching who lost loved ones through such a dangerous weapon. I can’t comprehend how anyone would find it funny.”
BGT judge Bruno Tonioli was fooled into thinking he had shot dead show supremo Simon Cowell on stage in front of a live audience.
In the lead-up to Cowell’s prank, an act had been performing a routine of shooting balloons.
It involved one of them trying to hit balloons on the head of another performer without hurting them.
Cowell and Bruno then appeared on stage, with the audience assuming they would perform the same routine.
A blindfold was put on Bruno who was told to fire the weapon.
But he had no idea that Cowell was going to pretend he had been shot by him.
Show staff rigged up Cowell so a crossbow arrow was sticking out of his chest.
He lay on the floor playing dead and a paramedic rushed to his aid in front of a live audience last month at The Lowry Theatre, in Salford, Gtr Manchester.
A TikTok video filmed by an audience member shows the crowd screaming and comes with a “sensitive content” warning.
It is understood producers are now in crisis talks over whether to axe it from the ITV series.
Laura, 30, added: “If they show that on the show — and I’ve always watched Britain’s Got Talent — I wouldn’t watch it again. It’s disgraceful.”
