Britain’s Got Talent’s audition phase has officially wrapped as the first round of the live semi-finals is set to kick off tonight.
The audition process showed off some incredible talent – some of the most impressive coming from the youngsters with Teddy Magic, Olly Pearson, Maya Giotea as the standout child stars of the series. And as judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and KSI set out to find the next Royal Variety Performance act, fans will be poised to see which child star shines brightest this year.
The ITV series has introduced audiences to some incredible young talent over the years, but where are the talent series’ biggest child stars now? The Mirror takes a look at what some of the show’s famous faces have been up to since rising to stardom – from unrecognisable transformations, to contestants rocked by tragedy.
Sarah, then 15, captivated the judges and the audience with her rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s And I Am Telling You, which resulted in Simon Cowell pressing the Golden Buzzer. Later in the series, she was knocked out after a viewer vote – but the judges decided to use the Wild Card to get her into the finals, where she came third.
Since finishing the show, Sarah has gone on to perform for many high end brands such as Vogue, and AP Swiss Watch. She also had the opportunity to sing for Bulgari in Dubai, which she said was an incredible experience, saying: “It looked like a magical show. I felt like a princess.”
Sarah told The Mirror that while she initially struggled to find her sound, she believes she is close to finding her path. “I’m definitely switching it up, I think that’s also another realisation I’ve had is like, I don’t need to put myself in a box. That’s the joy of not being signed. Like you can do whatever you want.”
This year, she confirmed she will be releasing more songs, and said fans might be shocked by her different sound. But, she did recently posted a video of herself singing the very same single that earned her the Golden Buzzer.
Bars and Melody (Leondre Devries) and Melody (Charlie Lenehan) auditioned for the show with their cover of Hope by Twista and Faith Evans – but they put their own spin on the song, with Leondre including a rap with a strong anti bullying message. Their performance led Simon to press the Golden Buzzer, and the pair ultimately finished the competition in third place. Their cover remains the second most-viewed audition on the BGT Youtube, with 254 million views.
After the show, the duo signed a record deal with Simon‘s record label and their debut single, Hopeful, reached number 5 in the UK singles chart. Since then, they have gained a solid fan base, releasing multiple albums and touring worldwide.
However in July 2024, the pair announced their split, stating that they would like to finish on a high, and are set to release their final album, along with an ’emotional’ last tour. Speaking in an emotional video, the pair said: “Hey everyone, it’s been an incredible journey and we’re thankful we shared it with you.”
They added: “But now it’s time for one last adventure together,” before announcing their final tour.
Jack Caroll appeared on the Britain’s Got Talents stage in 2013, instantly winning over the judges and audience with his self-deprecating humour and sharp wit. His stand-up comedy saw him finish in second place – but, even before the show, Jack had come to public attention when he was awarded the Pride of Britain award for Teenager of Courage.
Since leaving the show, he has continued his comedy career, appearing on shows such as Live at the Apollo. Jack also went on to co-write and star in a BBC comedy called Mobility, which won a BAFTA for short film.
The talented youngster has now ventured out to acting, appearing in various television shows including Doctors and Coronation Street, for which he was shortlisted for best newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards 2024, for his role as Bobby.
Ronan auditioned on the show at just 11 years old, earning a standing ovation from both the judges and the audience for his rendition of Feeling Good. He later finished the competition in second place.
After the show, he signed a record deal with Sony music and released his debut album Ronan Parke. In May 2012, it was reported that Sony had dropped him – but he went on to deny those claims, stating he had chosen to leave. He has continued to release music over the years, and has even dabbled in pantomime.
These days, he regularly updating his Instagram with life updates, posting photos of himself, friends, and family. And it appears he has moved on from his singing career; Ronan was recently photographed arriving for work at a top London restaurant, dressed in his hospitality uniform.
Natalie was just 10-years-old when she auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent, performing the hit Alicia Keys track, No One. Her rendition has gained 129 million views on YouTube, and it remains the 5th most-viewed clip on the BGT channel. She made it up to the semi finals of competition.
Natalie told The Mirror the pressure she has felt with remaining the 5th most watched clip. “The pressure is that I’m trying to top what I did as a 10-year-old, trying to get my music heard by those 129 million people. And, it’s not easy, so now it’s just trying to reach all of those people,” she said.
Talented Natalie made it all the way to the semi-finals and she has gone on to make music with UK artists including Sneakbo and Darkoo. Natalie told us the show didn’t shape her as an artist, but it did give her a wider platform, making her talent wide known.
While the show helped people recognise her name, she faced some challenges on the show. “The song I was meant to do for the semi-finals, they changed it on the day last minute and the song I’d been practicing for, which was Superstar, was meant to have dancers and they just scrapped the dancers on the day,” she revealed.
Another challenge she still faces is separating herself from the girl from Britain’s Got Talent and just being Natalie Okri, the artist.
Just recently, she decided to take down some of her songs – and has released a new single, Blessing. Natalie has spoken about the importance of ensuring all her music is clean and delivers a positive message to reflect her relationship with Christ, which fans can expect to here in her upcoming singles.
Shaheen auditioned at 12 years old, stunning the judges with his take on ‘Who’s Loving You?’, inspired by The Jackson 5’s version. He finished in fifth place – but his journey didn’t end there. Shortly after the show, he was approached by Michael Jackson’s team and invited to perform at Jackson’s public memorial. He later learned that Michael had seen his audition before his passing and had wanted to work with him.
Over the years, Shaheen has transitioned across to acting, securing roles in TV series like EastEnders, in which his character, Shakil Kazemi, was a victim of knife crime. More recently, he has appeared in BBC’s Lost Boys and Fairies.
Aidan was 12 years old at the time of his audition on BGT, when he impressed the judges with his dance routine to Flo Rida’s Low. Judge Simon Cowell was full of praise for the youngster, saying: “I think you’re better than any dancer on this show, you are super, super, super talented.” Aidan made it all the way to the finals, impressing most of the judges – although Simon did criticise one of his dances, saying it wasn’t as strong as previous performances, leaving Aidan in tears. Simon later admitted he regretted making him emotional.
After the show, Aidan performed with other finalists on the Britain’s Got Talent – The Live Tour 2009, and he stayed booked and busy for the whole year, appearing in ads and giving a number of performances across the country.
In 2012, Aidan debuted the music video for his song Let’s Dance, in which he also raps, and he has since gone on to release more songs on his YouTube channel.
More recently, Aidan has decided to dedicate himself to fitness, although he continues to make music, with his most recent track being released in May 2024. He is now also the proud dad to a baby girl named Poppy.
Hollie was just 10 years old when she auditioned for BGT. She initially started her performance with some ballet dancing, which confused the judges, but then she started singing – and left everyone stunned.
During the live semi-finals, she suffered a panic attack on stage. And while it seemed that would be the end of her journey, Simon did something he had never done before and allowed her to restart her performance, which led her to advancing to the finals.
After the show, Hollie decided to undergo therapy in order to overcome her stage fright, and she has since performed in huge spaces like New York’s Carnegie Hall and on cruise ships. To date, she has released three albums.
In her personal life, she enjoys travelling and often updates her Instagram profile with colourful holiday posts. In December 2024, she announced she was engaged to her partner.
George was just 14 years old when he won the second season of Britain’s Got Talent with his street dancing – just 12 months after he auditioned for the first season but didn’t make it through.
Following his win, he also went on to showcase his vocal talent with his debut song, Get Up On The Dance Floor/Headz Up. Doctors last warned him that returning to the dance floor may not be possible due to health concerns, but he has not allowed that to get in the way of his career.
George decided to branch out into the world of acting, and secured roles in shows such as Waterloo Road and The Dumping Ground. He has also dabbled in pantomime.
Recently, he posted a video revisiting one of his iconic moves – swinging from a lamp post. These days, it appears the BGT winner earns a living from Twitch, a streaming platform and calls himself a “Gamer/Nerd” on his Instagram bio.
Connie was one of the youngest contestants to ever appear on BGT, auditioning at just six years old when she sang Over the Rainbow – a performance that left Amanda Holden in tears and earned her international press coverage.
After her success on the show, Connie signed with Rainbow Recording Company, releasing her debut album, Over The Rainbow, which went on to sell over 250,000 copies worldwide and hit number 1 in three countries. She also broke two Guinness World Records, including one for being the youngest artist to have a number one in America.
Connie has remained in the spotlight, continuing to release music. She also bagged herself a lead role in the movie, The Key to the West, and is set to support Boyce Avenue on their tour this May.
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