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NO JOKE
I was stitched up on BGT by sneaky producers who edited Simon Cowell’s reaction, fed Ant & Dec insult & sabotaged my act
STOOD before a 1,500-strong crowd, this was ‘Laughter Man’ Pete Cann’s biggest performance to date – but it seemed the joke was on him.
The managing director, 46, from Bristol, was shocked to receive four crosses from the Britain’s Got Talent judges after being tipped to do well by producers.
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He performed a laughter yoga set, where he encourages the release of endorphins by getting people to release a hearty chuckle.
Pete discovered the meditation technique six years ago and when his £1.2million hospitality business began to crumble during the coronavirus pandemic, he used it to help his mental health.
The father-of-two, who performs at corporate gigs and on a daily live stream, was encouraged to apply by BGT producers and they even helped him with his act.
But now after being shamed on TV last weekend as the 'joke act', he tells The Sun that he thinks he was “set up from the beginning”.
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‘They tweaked my act'
Pete was surprised when he received a call out of the blue from producers, who told him he “would be really good on Britain’s Got Talent”.
They asked him to send videos and a few ideas for his performance which they then “moulded into what would work better for the show”.
He told The Sun: “I initially wanted to get the judges involved in the laughing exercises but it was tweaked and made to have audience participation instead.
“They wanted me to split the crowd in half, which I wasn’t sure would work and was when the buzzing happened.
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“Whether I was set up from the beginning, I don’t know ultimately, but I did what they asked me to do and you saw the results.”
While Pete was “under no illusion” about having a slim chance on the show, he says encouraging words from producers made “a tiny bit of me think I could get to the next round”.
‘Edited out the best bits’
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Ahead of the audition, Pete was a bit concerned as he didn’t think his three-minute slot would be enough time to “take the audience on the journey”.
When it was broadcast on Saturday, it had been cut down to around 40 seconds – and he claims they “got rid of some of the good bits in the edit”.
Pete also claimed there may have been some crafty rearranging of reactions, including Simon Cowell squirming throughout the act.
He said: "They showed him with his head in his hands, I think it was to make me look worse and believe that happened elsewhere in the show.
"In hindsight, I don’t think Britain’s Got Talent was the right platform for showing the well-being side of my work, after all, it is an entertainment show.
“I don’t think I came across as too silly, but it didn’t help that they put clown music on in the background.
“They edited my audition how they wanted to and if you were there, you would have seen 1,500 people laughing but I guess that’s how they wanted to pitch me.”
Cheeky Ant & Dec snub
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One the big day, which Pete says happened earlier this year, he arrived for pre-interviews in a nearby hotel at 8am.
From there, there was “a lot of backstage recording” and “waiting around” until he was ferried to the venue at 2pm to perform.
While waiting backstage, Pete claims he “made the crew laugh” and at first Ant and Dec seemed supportive before he received four crosses.
He said: “Up until going on stage, I had lots of positive feedback, like ‘You’ll be really good’ and ‘Amazing’ but that all changed.
“They said that sort of stuff all the way through and it makes you feel really good about yourself and your act.
“I got everyone laughing with me and Ant and Dec were pleasant too and asked questions about my act.
"But that all changed after the buzzing, they told me I was unlucky and then made a joke that my name was Pete Can’t rather than Pete Cann.
"That’s telly for you I guess. I don’t think they made that joke up themselves, it was probably fed to them by producers.”
'Producers know who will win'
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At the audition, Pete was warned by producers about their strict policy of “no photos, no filming or anything” while on the show.
He was also instructed to keep quiet and not reveal what happened to others – but did confide in his closest friends and family.
While Pete didn’t get through, there are no hard feelings as he knows it will help to get his act and laughter yoga out to the masses.
He said: “It was a shame that I didn’t get through but I feel I have a talent. Not everyone can go on stage and share their energy with such a huge audience by making everyone laugh.
“I wasn’t expecting to get to the finals, I just do this for a living and suspect the producers already have an idea who is going to win already.”
'Laughed my way through pandemic'
Pete discovered laughter yoga in 2016 and when the pandemic crippled the hospitality industry, he used it to help his mental health.
He explained: “Before covid shut down hospitality I was turning over £1.5million and we were ground down to a £300,000 turnover, which isn’t great but we got through it.
“At that point, I was really stressed and felt strained, there were a lot of tears and anger because I couldn’t control anything.
“That’s when I started doing laughter yoga more regularly and did exercises for up to 20 minutes a day.
"It brightened my mind, cleared the brain fog and lifted my mood.
“People would ask me, ‘Why are you laughing, your business is f***ed?’ but I was happy and chose not to go into a dark, depressive space.
“My positive attitude was a massive help for me and my wife and kids, being upbeat helped them to keep happy too.”
Pete has performed throughout lockdowns remotely including his own “Joe Wicks style videos” where he gets people to laugh.
Now his time is split 70 per cent on laughter yoga and 30 per cent on hospitality and he couldn’t be happier.
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“I love doing this, it’s a real passion of mine and it makes me feel good when I bring laughter to people," Pete said.
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“Even while watching Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday, I was laughing and it made me feel happier for doing it.”
To find out more about Pete Cann's Laughter Yoga sessions and follow him on .
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