Matisse, winner of this year’s ITV talent show, replaced with dog called Chase for high-wire section of event

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Britain’s Got Talent winner Matisse was substituted for a look-a-like stunt dog for the high-wire stunt that won the talent show final.

Matisse’s owner Jules O’Dwyer has revealed that he is afraid of heights, so she used a double called Chase to perform high-rope walking climax on the final of BGT on Sunday night.

“Matisse is a little bit afraid of heights, so although he could officially do it, Chase is the action dog, so he plays the double for him,” O’Dwyer admitted on ITV breakfast show Lorraine on Monday morning. “Every dog has a different character. The tightrope takes months of training.”

Chase had previously made an appearance in O’Dwyer’s semi-final performance, however the deception angered some viewers who said it was “shameful” that the public had been “conned”.

Fiona Fairbairn (@Fiona_Feb) @JulesAndMatisse So it turns out the dog on the tightrope was a double for Matisse on #BGT?! Basically conning the public!!! Shameful!

Another tweeted that BGT’s producers should have informed viewers about the sleight of hand before the public decided who to vote for in the final.

O’Dwyer and Matisse were the final act of the night, using a cops and robbers theme which ended with three-legged dog Skippy joining them on stage, narrowly beating favourites choir Cor Glanaethwy and runner-up magician Jamie Raven.

After O’Dwyer’s canine victory, Raven quipped that technically the public had voted him the most talented human in this year’s competition.

louise (@lowerthanlou) they used a stunt dog in the final! wow pretty much robbed the magician of £250,000 #BGT #Matisse

Figures show that it was extremely close, with O’Dwyer and Matisse winning 22.6% of the 4.5 million votes cast and Raven 20.4%.

O’Dwyer’s act scooped the £250,000 top prize and means she will perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance.

The final was watched by an average of 11.7 million viewers, a million more than last year and reversing a two-year decline in ratings, making it the biggest show of 2015 so far.

However, there were almost 200 complaints lodged with media regulator Ofcom and ITV from viewers angered over the plunging neck-lines of the dresses worn by judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

