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'Britain's Got Talent' viewers get nostalgic as Teletubbies perform at auditions

The Teletubbies showed up to audition on Saturday's episode of Britain's Got Talent. (ITV)
The Teletubbies showed up to audition on Saturday's episode of Britain's Got Talent. (ITV)

Simon Cowell got the surprise of his life on Saturday's episode of Britain's Got Talent when the Teletubbies took to the stage for a fun-packed audition.

The children's TV icons performed a dance routine to tracks including Single Ladies and Best Song Ever, after acknowledging their career-long connection to Cowell.

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During his days as an A&R executive at BMG in 1997, Cowell made a deal with the BBC for the single Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!", which shot to number one in the UK charts.

The group received a huge reaction in the theatre as they earned four yes votes from the judges, with host Declan Donnelly joking that "I can't believe they're auditioning for Britain's Got Talent".

Though Cowell appeared bemused during the Teletubbies' performance, he commented afterwards that he was "quite emotional" to reunite with them.

The 62-year-old mogul then joined the characters on stage for a group hug before voting them through to the next round of the variety act competition.

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The arrival of the Teletubbies prompted an outpouring of nostalgia from viewers on social media, looking back with love at the classic figures from 1990s children's TV.

One viewer even compared the Teletubbies cameo to Marvel blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

It's not clear whether the Teletubbies appearance will be a one-off, or whether they will appear in the show's upcoming semi-finals as major competitors to win the show.

The programme originally aired from 1997 until 2001, returning for a rebooted series on CBeebies from 2015 until 2018.

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Thanks to the cultural ubiquity of the characters and the millions of pounds in merchandise sales they have earned over the years, Teletubbies has been referred to as "the most lucrative show in BBC television history".

Britain's Got Talent will come to a conclusion next week, airing semi-finals throughout the week ahead of the live final on 5 June.

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