SO WHO ENDED UP IN EMMERDALE?
How many past BGT champions can you remember? Here are all 13 – and what they got up to after they won...
2007 PAUL POTTS
Carphone Warehouse manager Paul (right) stunned everyone with the Pavarotti classic Nessun Dorma to become the first BGT winner. He’s since had his teeth fixed, released six albums, and had a film made based on his life, starring James Corden.
2008 GEORGE SAMPSON
He was only 14 when he won with a street dance routine set to a remix of Singin’ In The Rain, which sent the song to No 1. George has since become an actor, appearing in Waterloo Road,
Mount Pleasant and Emmerdale.
2009 DIVERSITY
The street dance troupe (above) were shock winners ahead of Susan Boyle. They’ve thrived with arena tours and a performance at the Invictus Games closing ceremony. Group leader Ashley Banjo has become a judge on Got To
Dance and Dancing On Ice, while Perri Kiely won ITV show Splash! and was Star Baker on a Bake Off celebrity special.
2010 SPELBOUND
The acrobats performed at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, and three members went on to win as a trio at the world championships in acrobatic gymnastics.
2011 JAI McDOWALL
Scottish singer Jai (left) was signed to Simon Cowell’s label but dropped after one album. Yet after appearing on BGT: The Champions last year, David Walliams called him ‘one of the best winners BGT has ever had’.
2012 ASHLEIGH AND PUDSEY
Their Mission: Impossible routine melted dog-lover Simon’s heart. Pudsey (right, with Ashleigh) then released an ‘autobidography’ and starred in his own movie. He died in 2017 and Ashleigh has since won at Crufts with new dog Sully.
2013 ATTRACTION
The Hungarian shadow theatre troupe have since performed globally and been in an advert for an insurance company.
2014 COLLABRO
The men’s group won with rousing musical theatre tunes and their debut album Stars went to No 1. They’re big in Japan, supported Barry Manilow on tour last year and have released five albums.
2015 JULES O’DWYER AND MATISSE
There was controversy after Jules switched Matisse for another dog for the high-wire act due to his fear of heights.
2016 RICHARD JONES
Lance Corporal Jones, a magician, told the story of war hero and fellow magician Fergus Anckorn in his winning routine. Richard (below, with Fergus) has since had his own TV special and continues to tour.
2017 TOKIO MYERS
The session pianist stepped into the spotlight with his fusion of electronic and classical music. He then won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2018 Classic BRIT Awards and released an album.
2018 LOST VOICE GUY
Stand-up comic Lee Ridley (below) has cerebral palsy and performs with a speech synthesiser. He has since starred in and cowritten BBC radio sitcom Ability and has written a book called I’m Only In It For The Parking.
2019 COLIN THACKERY
The Chelsea Pensioner, who sang The Wind
Beneath My Wings at his BGT audition in memory of his late wife Joan, has since released an album.