BGT sword swallower too dangerous to perform live during semi-finals

The sword swallower - who hails from Moldova - shocked the judges with his first performance, which saw him slide down a pole stopping inches from the ground with a sword down his throat. He's spoken openly about his life being at risk during the act and insisted that the panel had only seen a small part of what he's capable of. Thus, it's expected his second audition will up the ante. But it's just too dangerous for live TV.

"Alexandr Magala's performance on the live show will be pre-recorded as a safety precaution," a BGT spokesperson confirmed. "Alexandr will still perform in front of a live studio audience and the judges."

Pre-recording it helps to remove any time pressures from the set up of the act. Often sets have to be put together during short ad breaks and this is too precise to be rushed. On the night of Magala's audition - which will follow during the week - it will be clearly signposted that the performance isn't live.

We can think of one chap who'll be pleased...

Britain's Got Talent semi-finals continue Sunday to Thursday on ITV