‘SWEET’ DUO DUMPED: Britain’s Got Talent fans fume ‘WHAT HAPPENED?’ as heartwarming grandfather and grandson act Lucciano, 10, and Frankie are SNUBBED from semi-final despite FOUR yeses and 50 MILLION views
BRISTOL – He was the nine-year-old boy who brought his grandad out of the audience and onto the BGT stage in a moment so touching it left judges wiping away tears.
But now Lucciano, 10, and his grandfather Frankie have been dealt a devastating blow.
The heartwarming duo from Bristol have been completely omitted from tonight’s (Saturday, May 23) semi-final line-up – despite earning a standing ovation, four yeses from the judges and racking up over 50 MILLION views across social media platforms .
And fans are absolutely furious.
‘What happened to the boy and his grandad!? Whatttt,’ one bewildered viewer posted on social media .
Another demanded: ‘Where is that sweet boy and his grandad?’
‘THE WHOLE NATION WAS ROOTING FOR US’
The grandfather-grandson duo captured the nation’s hearts during their audition, which aired last month.
Lucciano had told judges that his passion for singing came from performing at care homes with Frankie during school holidays .
Then came the adorable surprise that brought the house down.
The youngster invited his grandfather – who was sitting proudly in the audience – to join him on stage for a rendition of One Direction’s ‘History’ .
‘You brought the house down,’ Amanda Holden told them at the time .
Simon Cowell described Lucciano as ‘one of the cutest kids’ to ever appear on the show.
But when the semi-final line-up was announced, the duo’s name was nowhere to be found.
Taking to Instagram this week, Lucciano broke the devastating news to their millions of supporters.
‘ANNOUNCEMENT. NO SEMI FINAL FOR LUCCIANO and GRANDAD,’ he wrote .
‘4 yeses from the judges, a viral social media explosion, the whole nation rooting for us and over 50 MILLION views across all social platforms.’
He continued: ‘Unfortunately, we haven’t made it through to the semi-finals amongst such an incredible and talented group of acts on Series 19.’
But the young star remained gracious, thanking the show for ‘the opportunity and for believing in me’ .
Frankie added in the comments: ‘We will be back.’
FANS DEMAND ANSWERS
Social media has been flooded with outrage since the snub was confirmed.
‘WHAT!!!!? Massive mistake @bgt, this duo is just what we all want. Let’s have a public vote, surely at least a “wild card!”?’ one fan wrote .
Another posted: ‘I’ve been patiently waiting for you to appear in the semi-final. BGT this is a JOKE. You are the winner of hearts! You won the hearts of the nation!’
A third questioned: ‘What, why? What’s going on? This has never happened before! Please explain @bgt.’
Even viewers who understood the show’s selection process were left scratching their heads.
‘Basically, it’s like X Factor… the acts that go through don’t actually go through to the semis, but then the judges pick who goes through out of the ones who got through in the auditions,’ one fan explained.
But that explanation did little to calm the fury of those who had fallen in love with the Bristol duo.
WHO MADE THE CUT INSTEAD?
Tonight’s final semi-final features eight acts competing for the last two spots in the grand finale .
The line-up includes The Hawkstone Farmers Choir (Amanda Holden’s golden buzzer act), drone art company Celestial, sideshow and suspension act Baron and Vesper, magician Jake Banfield, vocalist James Miller, schoolboy dancer Juan Carlos, Japanese comedian Mr. Cherry and rock boyband SOS .
Notably absent? The grandfather-grandson duo who had the nation reaching for tissues.
Previous semi-finals have seen singer Matty Juniosa, dog act Anastasiia and Salsa, dance group LMA, magician Fabian Fox, fire-juggler Liwei Yang, comedian Ted Hill, magician Rafferty Coope and poet Sonny Green secure their places in the final .
WHAT NEXT FOR THE DUO?
Despite the disappointment, Lucciano and Frankie are not giving up.
The young singer has already been named Young Performer of the Year at the 2025 Children of Wales Awards .
And Frankie – who once collected one million pennies for veterans’ charity Help For Heroes – has promised fans they haven’t seen the last of the duo .
‘Thank you so much @bgt for the opportunity to perform on series 19,’ Frankie wrote on Instagram .
‘Good luck to all the remaining semi-finalists, and we will be back.’
Lucciano echoed that determination, teasing: ‘So… what’s next for Lucciano and Frankie? STAY TUNED.’
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Britain’s Got Talent grand finale is scheduled for next Saturday, May 30 at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX .
The winner will walk away with a life-changing £250,000 and a prestigious spot at the Royal Variety Performance .
Last year’s champion was magician Harry Moulding.
But for millions of viewers, the real winner of this series has already been decided – and he’s a 10-year-old boy from Bristol who just wanted to sing with his grandad.
‘Surprising my Grandad was truly magical,’ Lucciano wrote.
‘And performing in front of Simon Cowell was a dream come true.’
What do YOU think? Should Lucciano and Frankie have been given a spot in the semi-final? Was BGT wrong to snub the duo who captured the nation’s heart? Let us know in the comments below.
