Comic Alex tics along as star of show

MAKING STAND

FOR 20 years Alex Mitchell was like any other young man.

Then one morning three years ago, he woke up with a tic.

Now having been diagnosed with a life-changing condition, teaching assistant Alex, 23, is determined to raise awareness and inspire others with comedy.

And tonight viewers will see him as the standout star of Britain’s Got Talent, even raising a laugh from Simon Cowell.

Alex says: “I just woke up one day and the tics were there. It has impacted my life a lot. I was diagnosed a week after my birthday. It is scary, worrying.”

HERO

Alex, from Leeds, was eventually diagnosed last March with autism and functional neurological disorder.

It causes uncontrollable tics and affects an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people in the UK. Talking about his hero Lewis Capaldi, whose tics caused by his Tourette’s syndrome affected his Glastonbury set last year, Alex says: “Lewis is a phenomenal

human being.

“I watched his Glastonbury set with real emotion.

“It was being marred by his tics and yet he was still achieving his dream.”

Alex gets a standing ovation on tonight’s show, which airs in Mental Health Awareness Week.

He was too nervous to tell mum Becky he was auditioning, instead saying he was on a stag do, so Simon calls her and pretends to complain about Alex’s behaviour.

When she apologises, he says: “Actually, it’s Simon Cowell. Your son was incredible tonight.” Alex started writing stand-up material in Covid.

Before BGT he had only ever done occasional gigs in small local venues.

GLASTO Capaldi