Industry

A Britain's Got Talent comic says internet trolls have not upset him, but he wants people to realise belittling someone on the internet "is sad".

Joseph Charm from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, came fifth in the 2025 ITV series after receiving the Golden Buzzer from judge Alesha Dixon and his mum, who had joined the panel.

The 33-year-old said the buzzer, which automatically sends an act to the semi-finals, brought a lot of praise and a lot of trolls.

Following the final, Mr Charm said he "wasn't bothered" by the online abuse and hoped the negative commenters could "find light in their lives".

'Spread joy'

Mr Charm quit his job to pursue comedy in 2024 and said being on the show had been "incredible".

He did not win the £250,000 prize but said the experience trumped everything especially for his mum who was able to meet Simon Cowell.

"Having that moment was worth its weight in gold," he said.

"£250,000 would be fantastic but just getting to the final and to have Milton Keynes behind me is just fantastic."

He hoped to keep the momentum up and "spread joy in a number of different ways," following the show.

Mr Charm joked to the live audience on Saturday about some of the negative comments he had received.

Mr Charm told the BBC that some people felt "vindicated" after the show.

"I wasn't bothered by any of them. They are so fragile, fickle, weak and sad and I just hope they can find light in their lives so they can no longer be that way," he said.

"That's my genuine hope and if it's not through me hopefully it can be through the next comic or someone else can make them realise that it's sad trying to belittle someone on the internet."

The charity which runs London Zoo is seeking volunteers to identify material from hundreds of film reels discovered in its archive.

Zoological Society of London (ZSL), based in Regent's Park, near central London, wants film enthusiasts or history buffs to help access the content of these mystery films.

While most of the 200 reels are labelled with a cryptic name or a description, 20 are entirely unmarked.

Tina Campanella, ZSL's bicentenary project manager, said: "Delving into 200 years of history is no small task, and we've uncovered some fascinating artefacts – like a 1930s ostrich egg and polar bear-shaped soap souvenirs – but these films remain a reel mystery."

She added: "With just one year to go until our 200th anniversary, we'd love to find out what's on these mystery reels.

"We have absolutely no idea what historical secrets they may hold, if any at all, so if someone out there is as intrigued as we are, and would like to help, please get in touch!"

Some of the labelled reels hint at footage of Chi-Chi the panda – who resided at the zoo between 1958 and '72 – possible behavioural research of Congo, a chimpanzee and other scientific studies.

ZSL said some of the films were showing signs of vinegar syndrome – where the films become brittle, shrink and emit a vinegar-like odour – adding they wanted to act swiftly "before the valuable information they possess slips away forever".

The Dutch government has collapsed after Geert Wilders withdrew his far-right party from the governing coalition following a row over migration.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof confirmed he was stepping down on Tuesday and offered the resignation of the cabinet to King Willem-Alexander.

In televised remarks following an emergency cabinet meeting, Schoof said Wilders' decision to withdraw the support of his PVV party was "irresponsible and unnecessary".

"As far as I'm concerned, this shouldn't have happened," he added.

The governing coalition was in place for less than one year.

The row which led to its collapse came after Wilders pushed for 10 additional asylum measures, including a freeze on applications, halting the construction of reception centres and limiting family reunification.

Schoof had made a last-minute appeal to coalition party leaders on Tuesday morning, but the meeting lasted just one minute before Wilders walked out, ending the coalition.

"No signature for our asylum plans. PVV leaves the coalition," said Wilders on X.

There was shock and anger among political leaders, many of whom pointed out that several of Wilders' demands were similar to policies already in the coalition agreement, and that they would not stand in the PVV's way to implement them.

Many of the additional proposals put forward by Wilders had been dismissed during coalition talks because of legal concerns.

Wilders' decision has put an end to an uneasy governing coalition which was born in July 2024 after months of political wrangling following elections the previous year.

His anti-immigration, far-right PVV was the largest party. The other members were the conservative-liberal VVD, the Farmers' Citizen Movement (BBB) and the centrist New Social Contract.

• Geert Wilders: Who is he and what does he want?

From the start the coalition seemed a marriage of convenience, characterised by infighting and appeared to struggle to push through any of policies it had proudly promoted.

Following its collapse, Wilders' former coalition partners accused him of engineering the crisis. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz said the move was "super irresponsible", adding: "This wasn't about asylum at all."

"I think Wilders is betraying the Netherlands," said deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer from the BBB.

But Wilders appears to feel emboldened. On Tuesday he told reporters that he intended to become prime minister of the Netherlands "and ensure that the PVV becomes bigger than ever in the next elections".

Sandra Phlippen, the chief economist for ABN AMRO bank, said the immediate economic impact of the cabinet's collapse appeared minimal because during its 11 months in office the government had "barely made any concrete plans".

Polls show the far right and Green-Left parties are neck-and-neck, with migration and cost-of-living issues fuelling political volatility across Europe.

Wilders wanted the government to collapse as the support for his Freedom Party continues to drop in the polls, according to Armida van Rij, the Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham House.

With the Nato summit due to be held in the Hague at the end of the month, Schoof's ministers will seek to remain in power in a caretaker capacity until a date is set for the Netherlands to return to the polls – likely in the autumn, according to Dutch media.

In the Dutch political system, becoming prime minister requires forming a majority coalition in the 150-seat parliament.

Even if Wilders again surpasses the political pundits expectations, his decision to collapse the government is being seen as reckless – and perceptions he is putting personal ambition above national stability could further complicate his ability to form alliances after the next election.

The parties that were reluctant or refused to go into government with Wilders after the last election are likely to find that kind of partnership even less attractive now.

In addition, by toppling the coalition over the issue of asylum, it is likely Wilders will put it at the centre of his upcoming election campaign.

However, given that his party had been responsible for asylum and immigration for almost a year, there are no guarantees that such a gamble will pay off.