ITV Britain's Got Talent fans say finalist was 'robbed' as they 'worked out' finale

Britain's Got Talent fans have been left in an uproar, claiming that one of the finalists was 'robbed' after deducing that Sydnie Christmas would take home the crown before the official announcement on Sunday night (June 3).

The grand finale of the 17th series of the ITV talent extravaganza unfolded over the weekend, showcasing eleven acts who had battled through five nail-biting semi-finals aired consecutively last week.

Sydnie Christmas emerged victorious in Britain's Got Talent 2024, with the aspiring West End star overcome with emotion as hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly announced her triumph, securing a hefty £250,000 prize and a coveted slot at the Royal Variety Performance.

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After delivering a mesmerising rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow to conclude the live show, an ecstatic Sydnie expressed her gratitude: "I don't know what to say, I cannot believe the amount of love that I've felt. I am overwhelmed with love and it's the most amazing thing and I wish every person in this room feels the way I do with this love, it's amazing, thank you so much.", reports the Manchester Evening News.

Despite Simon Cowell, the chief judge, telling nuclear engineer-turned-illusionist Jack Rhodes he could win following his innovative "lie detector" act, he ultimately finished as the runner-up of the season.

In third place were the Ghanaian dancing sensations Abigail and Afronitaaa, who received high praise as they were told the "entire audience" had fallen in love with them following their electrifying dance routine. Their performance featured a medley of tunes, including the hit Afrobeats anthem 'Antenna' by Fuse ODG.

The grand finale, which followed a week packed with five live semi-finals, showcased a variety of acts such as illusionist Trixy, Taekwondo experts Ssaulabi, the humorous teaching assistant Alex Mitchell, vocal ensemble Northants Sings Out, and the energetic Japanese skipping group Haribow. Adding to the excitement, a wildcard act was unveiled during the live final, revealed to be the canine dance troupe The Trickstars.

However, BGT enthusiasts were already predicting Sydnie's victory even before the results were announced, citing her final performance slot as a significant advantage. @wardee72 tweeted: "I said that Sydnie would be last on before show started and would win. How many times has last act on won? ... #bgt."

@ANTxMC posted: "Sydnie Christmas given the last slot to win it all but ruined it with that song choice. #BGT #BritainsGotTalent #BGTFinal."

Meanwhile, @razlou commented: "Could have guessed Sydnie Christmas was going to be on last #bgt."

Before the announcement of the winner, @2001joe_mendy noted: "Historically, the winners have often performed very close to the end. 7 out of 16 times the act that performed last in the running order went on to win, so that could be a good omen for Sydnie. #BGT."

However, some viewers believed that magician Jack should have won this year's competition. User @hi_randy tweeted: "Jack was robbed. #BGT."

Another viewer @jessrdingle96 remarked: "@jackrhodesyt was robbed from winning @BGT. Well done Sydnie, but I'm absolutely gutted for Jack. #bgt."

@18jc2__ also chimed in with: "Jack Rhodes got robbed of winning the show, by far the best act of the night. 2nd place for him #bgt."