Morgan backs Hollie's second chance

Piers Morgan has insisted that Britain's Got Talent chiefs made the right decision when they gave a second chance to contestant Hollie Steel.

The 10-year-old singer was allowed to perform 'Edelweiss' for a second time on last night's show after she burst into tears following a mistake in her first attempt.

Defending the producers' response to the incident, Morgan told Sky News: "To all those who say we made the wrong decision, I can just imagine the fury if we had not made that decision, so you can't have it both ways."

Show bosses appeared to rule out a second slot for Steel before being overruled by Simon Cowell on last night's episode. However, Morgan has claimed that viewers did not see the whole picture.

"What happened was that the producers were very aware that there was a time element to the show last night, being a live television show, and they couldn't move the news without permission from ITV bosses and they were trying to get hold of them," he explained.

"So in the heat of that second, they had to make that call because you have to be fair to the other contestants. But then the call came in that ITV were prepared to move the news back - there would be more time and Hollie could perform again."

The former tabloid editor added that only a person with a "heart of stone" would have denied Steel a second chance to win votes.