Missing People Choir voted through to final

Popular group will return for tonight’s final with comic Daliso Chaponda

The Missing People Choir has been voted through to the Britain’s Got Talent final alongside Malawian comic Daliso Chaponda.

In what presenters Ant and Dec called the tightest semi-final yet, both will return to the stage in tonight’s final alongside nine other acts.

The choir, made up of relatives and friends of people who have gone missing, and backed by Kate McCann, are the long-running favourites in the competition, but came second in the semi-final behind Chaponda.

The group includes the sister of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards, the father of chef Claudia Lawrence, and Peter Boxell and Denise Horvath-Allan, whose children have both been missing for 28 years.

Earlier, judge Simon Cowell had said he was backing the choir but added there was a “lot of expectation” on them.

Speaking on BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright In The Afternoon, Cowell said: “I think there will be a lot of expectation on Missing People’s Choir.

“I do know they’ve got a great song and I know they got a big reaction but I think this is going to be a better performance.” He added: “I’m rooting for them.” Meanwhile, a pair of Irish dancing brothers were labelled “the Jedward of dance” following their bizarre semi-final performance.

Lords Of Strut’s tongue-in-cheek 80s dance routine to You Spin Me Right Round saw them compared to the former X Factor contestants as they bid to reach Saturday night’s grand final.

Judge Alesha Dixon was the first to make the comparison which was then echoed across social media, although Amanda Holden described them as “Dumb and Dumber meet the Wedding crashers”.

Fans on Twitter took delight in their performance with one viewer, @ WytchGSD, saying they left her “howling with laughter”.

Diane Robinson described them as Jedward’s “weird uncles”, while Emma Cox said the “oddbods” were like a mix of Chuckle Brothers and the quiffed Irish twins.

Kris Souter posted “If #LordsofStrut don’t win #BGT then there’s no justice in the world. Literally in tears watching them” but not all viewers appreciated their effort.

Sean O’Sullivan said they were “ridiculous” while Jonny Pegler called them “utter dross”.

Picture: ITV. Simon Cowell is rooting for the Missing People Choir who will feature in tonight’s final.