▁people ▁of ▁all ▁ages ▁who ▁possess ▁a ▁talent . ▁After ▁the ▁initial ▁r ounds ▁of ▁aud itions , ▁successful ▁contest ants ▁are ▁narrow ed ▁down ▁by ▁the ▁jud ges . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁series , ▁ 3 0 ▁contest ants ▁made ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁three ▁semi - final s , ▁and ▁in ▁subsequent ▁series ▁this ▁has ▁been ▁increased ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁( 4 5 ▁in ▁series ▁ 6 - 1 0 ) ▁contest ants ▁across ▁five ▁live ▁shows . ▁The ▁act ▁which ▁receives ▁the ▁most ▁public ▁votes ▁in ▁each ▁semi - final ▁goes ▁through ▁to ▁the ▁final , ▁with ▁the ▁second ▁final ist ▁being ▁decided ▁by ▁the ▁jud ges ▁from ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁third ▁most ▁popular ▁contest ants . ▁In ▁series ▁ 6 , ▁a ▁" w ild card " ▁element ▁was ▁introduced . ▁This ▁is ▁where ▁jud ges ▁pick ▁an ▁elimin ated ▁act ▁from ▁the ▁semi - final s , ▁and ▁that ▁act ▁is ▁sent ▁through ▁to ▁the ▁final . ▁In ▁series ▁ 6 , ▁the ▁wild card ▁act ▁selected ▁was ▁The ▁M end . ▁In ▁series ▁ 7 , ▁the ▁wild card ▁was ▁Steve ▁H ew lett ▁and ▁in ▁series ▁ 8 , al ▁Jon ▁C leg g . ▁Series ▁ 9 ▁featured ▁a ▁second ▁wild card , ▁voted ▁for ▁by ▁the ▁public ▁from ▁the ▁five ▁acts ▁who ▁lost ▁the ▁jud ges ' ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁semi - final s . ▁The ▁jud ges ' ▁wild card ▁was ▁Boy band ▁and ▁the ▁public ' s ▁wild card ▁was ▁Jess