Was the Titanic skit on Britain's Got Talent tasteless?
What did you miss?
Britain's Got Talent drag artist Chantaaaal produced one of the most jarring auditions ever by dressing up as the RMS Titanic and singing 'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion.
Airing on ITV on Saturday night, the latest BGT welcomed Chantaaaal to the stage in quite the costume. Strapped to his head was one of the infamous ocean liner's smokestacks, while the accompanying corset was shaped like its light-dotted hull. Completing this ensemble was a blue frill to resemble the sea and the 'Heart of the Ocean' diamond dangling from his neck.
However, as the contestant's routine unfolded infront of judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Bruno Tonioli and Alesha Dixon, a large portion of fans tweeting from home felt a sense of distastefulness.
What, how and why?
"I'm about to become your favourite French femme fatale," announced Chantaaaal before slipping a flute out from his chest gap, and playing the first few notes from 'My Heart Will Go On'.
The song itself has become synonymous with director James Cameron's Titanic movie, which sees Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's passengers Jack and Rose caught in a whirlwind romance as their vessel crashes into an iceberg. Released in 1997, it dramatised the events of the real-life disaster of 1912 and went on to collect 11 Oscars.
Chantaaaal then tossed the instrument aside and burst out into full vocal cover. At the crescendo, his dress suddenly raised behind him to depict an iceberg floating above the watery surface.
Embodying the tragic narrative even further, Chantaaaal proceeded to physically shake and turn out the stage lights directed at his face as the Titanic sank. Next came a whistle for the lifeboats.
You get the idea.
How did Chantaaaal's performance fare on social media?
Despite the four judges unanimously sending Chantaaaal through to the next round of the competition, the majority of BGT viewers were shocked to find this act had been received so well.
"I actually don't know how that Titanic act made it to television… like people edited and approved of this?!!! It's disgusting, people DIED!! It's a tragedy it is NOT funny," raged one of them on social site X.
Echoing this, a second person wrote: "I understand bgt is all for fun, but laughing at the titanic? Is that funny or is that very disrespectful to what happened to all them people?"
"Is it just me or is it completely out of order to make a joke act around a tragic event where people died," asked someone else.
Yahoo UK has contacted BGT for comment.
Britain's Got Talent resumes on ITV1 tonight (26 May).
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This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/britains-got-talent-chantaaaal-titanic-164821328.html
