Britain's Got Talent 2018 start date confirmed '“ and it's just around the corner

It's the show that made household names of Susan Boyle, Pudsey the Dog and Diversity, and fans will be delighted to know that Britain's Got Talent is returning to our TV screens later this month.

ITV has confirmed that the first episode of the nation’s favourite talent show will air on 14 April at 8pm, and will run for one hour and 25 minutes.

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This year's series will see the return of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon on the judging panel.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the release of the first trailer for BGT (you can watch it below) - but despite starring the aforementioned judges, presenters Ant and Dec, who have fronted the series since it began in 2007, were missing from the lavish, minute-long trailer.

According to reports, Declan Donnelly will front the show on his own following Ant McPartlin's decision to enter rehab in the wake of his drink-driving charge.

ITV bosses were said to be so impressed by Dec's solo appearance on Saturday Night Takeaway they now want him to present the live shows without his troubled pal.

However, the theatre auditions for BGT were filmed around the country earlier this year with both Ant and Dec in attendance, meaning that the popular duo will almost certainly appear together in the pre-recorded segments.

Now entering its 12 season, Britain's Got Talent remains one of the most watched shows on the box, with an average audience of nine million weekly viewers.

Britain's Got Talent starts on ITV on Saturday, April 14 at 8pm.