Btitain's Got Talent: ITV1’s long-running talent competition returns

However, even he admits that he can’t always predict who the public will take to their hearts. Cowell says: “I mean, if you had told me after his first audition that [2023 champion Viggo Venn] was going to win, I’d be like, ‘Yeah, right’. But then it happened.

“And the great thing about this show is it doesn’t matter. Whoever the public chooses, the public chooses, and I really think they get it right most years. I really, really do.”

He adds: “There’s always someone I feel bad for, of course. But you can just never predict who the public will love. Though, interestingly, this year, when we were discussing the finals, we went round the room and said who we think might win and there was one person everyone gravitated towards. It’s going to be interesting.

“I’m excited for this year, let’s see who the public picks as their winner.”

It seems they should have plenty of great performers to choose from as this year as a record nine acts were given the coveted golden buzzer – and it could have been even more.

Cowell explains: “The truth is, honestly, when I watched the tapes back, I thought there were about another 17 acts who easily could have had a golden buzzer. That’s how good the talent is this year.

“But look, I think eight or nine is the absolute limit. I don’t think you could ever really go beyond nine, well, maybe 10 at a push! But I always listen to the audience and the feedback I got last year was they did enjoy seeing more golden buzzers.”

He’s expecting more great feedback after the current series, saying: “It’s going to be an amazing show this year. It’s just different and it’s fun and it’s got everything you want from BGT.

“It’s got a heart, great stories, things we’d never seen before, which is important because you don’t want to just keep repeating the same thing year on year. So overall, I couldn’t be happier.”

It’s also got Ant and Dec, proving they aren’t turning their backs on primetime Saturday Night TV after delivering their final episode of Takeaway last week.

Cowell’s fellow judges are back too as Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli join him on the panel, and it sounds like they’ve been having fun.

According to Ant: “It’s not just the pressing of the Golden Buzzers numerous times, they’ve also played tricks on us. Normally it’s us pranking the judges, but the tables have been turned this year and we weren’t expecting that. Naughty judges!”

However, the real stars remain the contestants – but who will make big impression in tonight’s opening audition and emerge as a contender to win the life-changing £250,000 and a slot at the Royal Variety Performance?