Got Talent is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment. It has spawned spin-offs in over 60 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantle of the Idol and The X Factor formats. Unlike those shows, Got Talent (influenced by the variety of talent shows Opportunity Knocks and New Faces) showcases other artistic disciplines as well as singers.

In April 2014, the format was named the world's most successful reality TV format ever by Guinness World Records. Cowell said: "I am very proud that Got Talent is a homegrown British show. We owe its success to a group of very talented producers all over the world who have made this happen. And of course amazing talent."

Got Talent was conceived in 2005 by Simon Cowell, creator and judge on The X Factor. The format's origins can be traced to the British talent shows Opportunity Knocks (on-screen from the 1950s, with the winner using the now-standard method of a telephone vote) and New Faces. Both shows showcased singers, dancers and comedians, as well as performers such as acrobats, animal acts and novelty acts. Cowell said:"I was a fan of variety shows Opportunity Knocks and New Faces, and to be able to update that tradition, really was a buzz".

The concept of the format was for a large-scale televised talent competition where anyone, of any age and background, could participate with any form of talent before an audience and a panel of judges. The concept was first proposed to the British television network ITV, which agreed to a pilot episode of the format. When it proved a success, work began on producing a season of the competition for British television, but was suspended after its intended host had a dispute with ITV and ultimately ended their involvement. Cowell subsequently promoted the concept to American television networks sooner than planned, and secured the interest of American television network NBC to produce a season for their 2006 summer broadcast schedule.

America's Got Talent debuted on 21 June 2006, and was the first international edition of the franchise to be produced and broadcast. The programme proved a success for NBC, who commissioned further seasons, while launching the franchise internationally – among countries where television networks between late 2006 bought up the competition's format to mid-2007 included France, Russia, Sweden, and Australia. Cowell later returned to the UK to continue production of the British edition for ITV, leading to Britain's Got Talent debuting on 9 June 2007.

The golden buzzer, which allows each judge to select one act to advance directly to the next round of the competition, was first introduced in 2012 on the sixth season of Germany's Das Supertalent, and was adopted in 2014 on both the eighth series of Britain's Got Talent and the ninth season of America's Got Talent.

Changes in the golden buzzer rules over the years have included allowing the host to award a golden buzzer separately from the judging panel; a "group" golden buzzer whereby the judges and the host can collectively give a golden buzzer to an act without losing their own personal golden buzzers; and an "audience" golden buzzer under which the panel can award a golden buzzer to an act that has generated an especially strong positive reaction from the studio audience.

In 2024, the fourth season of Canada's Got Talent introduced a $25,000 cash prize for each recipient of the golden buzzer, making it the first edition of the franchise to do so. In the same year, the nineteenth season of America's Got Talent introduced a change whereby each judge will be able to give two golden buzzers rather than one.