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If it wasn't for a scary 'Humpty Dumpty'-singing Geisha and a canary yellow swing band, last night's Britain's Got Talent could easily have been renamed Kids Do The Cutest Things.

Child singers. Child dance acts. Even a teenage stand-up comic looked barely old enough to be shaving.

However, among the plethora of kiddywinks and bright young things there was one shining potential star Malaki Paul. A singer with soul and a cheeky smile that will warm your cockles. But aged only nine, is he ready to be thrust into the limelight and pressure of a live TV talent show?

"He's a lovely young lad, with a talent, but is too young and too fragile for this. He should never have auditioned," said one DS forum member.

A rather more angry viewer commented: "All this in the name of entertainment. Shame on ITV and BGT."

Youngsters barely old enough to tie their own shoelaces have been an integral part of BGT since it started. But there had always been a heated debate about whether it's appropriate to have pre-teen acts performing for 10 million + viewers, while four judges glare them down, ready to press the thunderous buzzer and shatter their dreams at any moment.

Pushy parents linger on the sidelines, keeping their fingers crossed that their son or daughter can achieve their (very recently devised) lifelong dream. Some would say that it's wrong to allow your child to face the limelight at such a tender age. Others would argue that it would be unfair to deprive your child of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity if you truly believe in their talent.

Malaki's tearful breakdown midway through his audition brought back horrible memories of Hollie Steel's infamous live show performance on BGT. The sight of Ant & Dec unable to control a howling Steel, while her mother begged Cowell and producers for a second chance, was ugly and a strong argument for never having child acts on the show again.

Watch Hollie Steel's famous Britain's Got Talent performance below:

But dozens of other child acts have made the live shows on BGT and done themselves proud. So would it be unfair for Cowell and ITV to block under-12s in the future because of a couple of nervy, unfortunate incidents? Is it not the parents' call rather than the TV producers'?

It takes a strong and very mature kid to stand on the BGT stage for Simon Cowell and a rowdy audience. It's not only about having a special talent, it's also about being able to deal with lights and nerves, and having the confidence to cope with the unexpected twists of taking part in a filmed TV show.

Finding out whether a kid has those special skills isn't something a parent or producer can truly know until they've been out on that stage and performed. There is always a risk of tears, tantrums and heartbreak.
What did you think about Malaki Paul's audition? Is he too young to take part? Share your verdict below

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If it wasn't for a scary 'Humpty Dumpty'-singing Geisha and a canary yellow swing band, last night's Britain's Got Talent could easily have been renamed Kids Do The Cutest Things. Child singers. Child dance acts. Even a teenage stand-up comic looked barely old enough to be shaving.

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Marc Métral and his talking dog Wendy wow the judges | Audition Week 1 | Britain's Got Talent 2015

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Edward Reid - Britain's Got Talent 2011 Audition

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Britain's Got Talent: 35-year-old drama teacher Edward is hoping that Britain's Got Talent will change his life. Taking the stage in front of the largest audience he's ever had - the judges think they know what's coming - but no-one expected this!

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BGT Audition

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Alice Fredenham singing 'My Funny Valentine' - Week 1 Auditions | Britain's Got Talent 2013

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The Voice Audition

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Alice Fredenham The Voice Audition BBC1 2004.2013 BGT

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Alice Fredenham with her audition on The Voice BBC1 2004.2013 BGT she finished her performance to find none of the four Judges Danny O'Donoghue, Jessie J, Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am, had turned around in their chairs. Also presented by Reggie Yates and Holly Willoughby as presenters.

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Seven years in, and everybody more or less knows what to expect from Britain's Got Talent. Street dance. Sob stories. Judges who shout impossible percentages at contestants instead of just saying "yes". Judges who say "It's a yes" instead of just saying "yes". Amanda Holden only being able to express astonishment by detaching her jaw like a hungry snake about to devour an egg. A bit more street dance. Nothing else.

And yet this year, a new element has been introduced to the show: constant accusations of fakery. Britain's Got Talent isn't Britain's Got Talent any more, it seems, unless Monday's tabloids are jammed with outraged claims that all the decent contestants were famous before they auditioned.

Take the Johnson Brothers - a pair of nice, if slightly Mulligan and O'Hare-ish, young men who belted out a nice, if slightly Mulligan and O'Hare-ish version of The Impossible Dream last week. They were introduced as sandwich makers from Wales, but have since been exposed as secret cruise ship singers.

Then there was Francine Lewis, the impressionist who dazzled Simon Cowell with impersonations of Stacey Solomon and Katie Price. It was an unprecedented performance. Original, unique. Unless, of course, you'd seen her doing the exact same impersonations of Stacey Solomon and Katie Price on Channel 4's Very Important People last year.

The best (or worst) was Alice Fredenham, who shook off her crippling nerves to perform My Funny Valentine in the first episode of BGT, but then turned up on The Voice one week later breezily confident. Was she faking it on BGT? Does Cowell have the nerve to puppetmaster the performers? Was this all a giant conspiracy? Are any of us expected to ever believe anything we see ever again?

The real question raised here is whether or not anyone actually cares any more. After more than a decade of reality TV talent shows, we've become inured to this, haven't we? Every year, audiences are expected to endure at least one story about an act that already has a record deal, or has a lucrative cruise ship career, or was brought in as a ringer by the producers. I mean, how long has that dancing five-year-old from Saturday's show been in the business? Two decades? Three? And, frankly, I've yet to be convinced that Pudsey the dancing dog wasn't just a kid with a rug taped to him all along.

By this point, all the backstage jiggery-pokery should just wash over us, so why am I still bothered? Is it because the accusations of fakery harm Britain's Got Talent, or is it because entertainment has become even more cynical than us, the viewers? Maybe, as I imagine Simon Cowell whispers to his army of wannabes, it's all just "part of the fun" and I'm over-thinking it. But then again, maybe BGT just isn't that fun anymore. Let me know what you think.

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Has Britain's Got Talent been faking it?

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Seven years in, and everybody more or less knows what to expect from Britain's Got Talent. Street dance. Sob stories. Judges who shout impossible percentages at contestants instead of just saying "yes". Judges who say "It's a yes" instead of just saying "yes".

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Darcy Oake, 26, says he understands viewers' frustration about foreign acts

Semi-finalist wowed judges and public with incredible magic skills

But Cowell says foreign acts helps UK talent raise their game

It is supposed to be the programme that showcases the best of British talent.

But switch on Britain's Got Talent tonight and you might be puzzled by what you see. For six of the acts through to this year's semi-final are foreign.

And following criticism of the lack of home-grown talent, one of the contestants has admitted he understands the outcry.

Tonight will see nine semi-finalists - three of them foreign acts - compete in the first of five live semi-finals, ahead of the winner being announced in two weeks' time.

Among them is Canadian magician Darcy Oake, whose act involves producing two white doves as though from thin air.

All four of the Britain's Got Talent judges - Simon Cowell, 45, Amanda Holden, 43, Alesha Dixon, 35, and David Walliams, 42, - voted him into the semi-final, following an audition that received a standing ovation.

But as he prepares to perform live tonight, the 26-year-old said he could accept the point of view that only Britons should be allowed to compete.

Oake said: 'I totally understand and get that viewpoint. For me, Britain's got talent is literally the biggest talent show in the world.

'All of these talent show originate in the UK. Britain's Got talent is way bigger than America's Got Talent. Canada's Got Talent is non-existent.

'They tried it for one season and it was a failure. I figured this was the place to do it. I feel like a lot of people don't realise the magnitude of the show.'

The magician went on to say he realises there will be people who don't vote for him based on his nationality. And he added: 'There's nothing I can do about that. I came here to hopefully get some exposure, and that's what I aim to do.

'I can't convince anybody otherwise. If people are offended because I'm not British then that's the way it's got to be.'

As well as Oake, the foreign acts through to this year's semi-finals include three dancers from Paris, a variety act from the Czech Republic called Pyroterra and Kony Puppets, a puppeteer from Poland.

Light Balance is a variety act from the Ukraine, while singer Christian Spridon is Romanian.

Three of the six are in tonight's heat. Should any of the foreign acts do well it would not be the first time competitors from overseas have found success on the programme.

In 2012 German Dennis Egel reached the semi-finals with a routine that involved singing Nessun Dorma in giant gold wings.

And last year a dance duo from Holland won the praise of the judges, prompting criticism that the programme was lacking in British talent.

But in the past show boss Simon Cowell has claimed foreign acts help push the British performers to do better.

He said: 'I think it's quite flattering that they fly all that way to enter this show because they see it as the flagship show, but it means our Brits have got to step it up now.'

Tonight's semi-final takes place on ITV at 7.30. Nine acts will perform in front of the judges, before the public vote opens at the end of the programme.

In the results show which follows, the act with the highest number of votes will automatically win one of 10 places in the final on June 7. The judges will then select which acts go through in second and third place.

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Too many foreign acts on Britain's Got Talent? I agree, says Canadian magician who has just made the semi-finals

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Darcy Oake, 26, says he understands viewers' frustration about foreign acts Semi-finalist wowed judges and public with incredible magic skills But Cowell says foreign acts helps UK talent raise their game It is supposed to be the programme that showcases the best of British talent.

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(Photo: BBC/ITV)

Almost 12 million viewers were left mesmerised by Britain's Got Talent, making it the most watched show of the year so far.

The third episode of the series, which went out on April 25 and saw show supremo Simon Cowell come face to face with a hypnotic hound, had a consolidated audience of 11.9 million.

That puts it ahead of the EastEnders Live episode from earlier this year which previously topped the ratings with 11.6 million.

The new series, which teams up Cowell with David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden in the talent search, has an average consolidated audience of 11.5 million.

The top episode saw Cowell, who is regularly photographed with his dogs Squiddly and Diddly, get on stage after Krystyna Lennon and her dog Princess had performed their act on members of the audience and presenting duo Ant and Dec.

He initially appeared to have resisted the dog's attempts at hypnotism but was then seen slumped at his desk and said he did not fake being hypnotised by the dog.

He said: "No! 100% real. I was feeling sleepy and then fell asleep.

"It's almost like your brain tells you to do something which you shouldn't be doing but you just go along with it. The next thing is, you've actually fallen asleep.

"I always said I wanted to find a cat that could play the guitar. I think we've done pretty well finding a dog that can hypnotise people! I just want to own the dog. I could literally rule the world with this dog because all it does is stare at you and you do whatever it wants."

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Britain's Got Talent becomes most watched show of the year knocking EastEnders live off top spot

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Almost 12 million viewers were left mesmerised by Britain's Got Talent, making it the most watched show of the year so far. The third episode of the series, which went out on April 25 and saw show supremo Simon Cowell come face to face with a hypnotic hound, had a consolidated audience of 11.9 million.

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Are Children Too Young To Appear On BGT?

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Are Children Too Young To Appear On BGT?

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Sir Bruce Forsyth has criticised Simon Cowell, saying young acts on his Britain's Got Talent show face "emotional damage" from the pressure of performing.

The showbiz veteran, who has been caught up in a war of words with Cowell, said he was a fan of the show but was worried about children being put on stage when they could not cope with rejection.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: "I really do think he should stop putting young children under the immense and possibly damaging pressure of performing on national television, not just in front of a live audience, but also before four very sharp judges.

"You can see that many of the adult performers find the experience traumatic, so what sort of emotional damage could it be doing to children who, for the most part, are only there because of the ambition of their parents and teachers?"

Sir Bruce recalled watching a young girl sing on one of Cowell's shows a few years ago before she broke down in tears halfway through.

He said: "She was only 10 and clearly the occasion and the pressure just got to her, but I remember we were watching at home and I just turned to my wife, Winnie, and said 'This isn't right; this shouldn't be on television'."

The entertainer, who is set to return to hosting duties on Strictly Come Dancing later this year, said it was very different to when he made his stage debut as a 14-year-old because he was "bottom of the bill in a really awful show" so there was not the same pressure to succeed.

And he said the "16 years of really hard slog round the variety circuit" that followed taught him how to cope with failure.

Sir Bruce said one solution was for Cowell to have one show for adult performers and another for children with "more modest prizes" and "more positive" judging.

He said: "There are enough tears in any child's life; we certainly don't need to add to them in the name of entertainment."

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Britain's Got Talent: Sir Bruce Forsyth renews attack on Simon Cowell

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Sir Bruce Forsyth has criticised Simon Cowell, saying young acts on his Britain's Got Talent show face "emotional damage" from the pressure of performing. The showbiz veteran, who has been caught up in a war of words with Cowell, said he was a fan of the show but was worried about children being put on stage when they could not cope with rejection.