Britain's Got Talent auditions hit Birmingham

The famous faces of the hit television show had the red carpet treatment yesterday as they arrived for auditions at the ICC in the city centre.

The four judges – Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, David Walliams and Amanda Holden – were joined by presenters Ant and Dec.

The Geordie double act stopped to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the many fans on their way into the venue.

Ant told the Express & Star of his excitement about the upcoming series.

He said: "This is our eighth series but there's always surprises. In the past we've had dog acts but this time we're expecting to see an owl agility act.

"That's what I look forward to – constantly being surprised and it's always good coming to Birmingham."

The four judges were hot on the heels of the presenters, who recently scooped the National Television Awards Landmark Honour.

And Alesha revealed a new addition to this year's series – a gold button which judges can press to automatically catapult contestants through to the live shows.

She said: "When we were in Cardiff it was good but it's really picked up to a new level in Birmingham.

"Now we've got to wait and see if Birmingham people are the most talented. We usually have a good audience here."

The trademark playful banter between the judges was seen again during the auditions as Cowell and Walliams disagreed over one of the performers' ages and whether they were too old to go further in the competition as part of a group.

Cowell said: "We have got four cats and a dog."

Walliams however could not resist a wisecrack at Cowell, saying: "By your logic, in this panel, there's three young and attractive people. I know you've had a lot of work done but..."

Packed to the rafters, the audience laughed at the judges, cheered for the acts and at times even offered standing ovations for the performers. Many Black Country fans braved the cold to watch the latest acts emerge at auditions. Among them was IT developer Trish Jelley, aged 43, who made the trip from her Tividale home to watch the auditions with her mum Margaret Hanks, her daughter Robyn Snade and her boyfriend Dan Holyhead.

Mrs Jelley said: "I think my favourite acts are the mad ones."

Mother-of-one Kay Dowling, aged 23, went with her Oldbury pals Emily Langford, a Sainsbury's worker aged 22, mum-of-two Stacey Morgan and mum-of-one Kirsty Taylor. Long-time fan

Miss Dowling said she wanted to be surprised by something different to singing, so the show was not the same as the X Factor.

Miss Taylor, aged 20, said she was hoping to see a good dog act progress through the competition.

Rebecca Reid, a culinary arts management student, from Reservoir Road, Edgbaston, also attended this weekend's auditions and said she never missed an episode and hoped this series could provide an act to make her laugh.Kat Lesycsznski, a home-maker and mother-of-four, came for the auditions from her home in West Bromwich. The 40-year-old said she had been watching the show since it began.

She added: "I was watching last year and as soon as I saw Attraction Shadow Theatre Group I knew they'd win it."

She was there with son Marcus Hall, a Phoenix Collegiate Academy pupil, aged 17, and construction supervisor Marilyn Gray and Elizabeth Fraser, a grandmother-of-11, aged 50.

Cowell had kind words for those watching at the end of the first round, saying that out of six days on the road, Birmingham 'was the best audience by far'.