[Red Moon]

A moonwalking dog, eye-popping contortionist and hammer-wielding granny... it's Britain's Got Talent time!

The judges, buzzers and bizarre acts are back as Britain's Got Talent prepares to return for a second series.

Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden and talent show svengali Simon Cowell have reprised their seat on the panel and a sneak peek at this year's contestants leave little doubt the performances will be as wacky as ever.

Gin the moonwalking dog, who was bought along by his owner Kate Nicholas, 16, from Whitchurch, Shrops, certainly tickled judge and dog lover Simon Cowell.

He said: "I've spent my life hunting for the new Lassie."

Contortionist Lona Luvsandorj was among hopefuls as well as Scala, a glamourous all girl string quartet. Double act Joan and Jim, who make auditioning looking like seriously back-breaking work.

Former newspaper editor Piers has guaranteed plenty of disastrous acts, branding Blackpool the stop with the least talent on the judge's tour.

He said: "I thought we'd stumbled onto the set of Nightmare On Elm Street by the end of the first session.

"It wasn't so much as end-of-the-pier stuff as chuck-them-off-the-end of the pier stuff."

The show, hosted by Ant and Dec, is open to any performer of any age and the winner will go on to perform in front of the the Prince of Wales at year's Royal Variety Performance .

There is also £100,000 worth of prize money on offer.

Paul Potts, a 37-year-old mobile phone salesman from Port Talbot in Wales, won the ITV talent competition last year and went on to become "the People's Pavarotti".

As well as the prize money he secured a £1 million recording contract and his best-selling classical album reached Number One in 13 different countries.

Pint-sized runner-up Connie Talbot lost out on a contract with Cowell because she was too young, but she picked up a new manager and recording deal, and enjoyed Christmas chart success with her debut album Over The Rainbow.

The 7-year-old will release another CD in June and has just returned from a trip to Jamaica with her family where she filmed a video for her latest song - Bob Marley's hit Three Little Birds.

Source and Pictures:Dialy Mail

[ozental]

Scala definately stole the shoe for me.