The stars of BGT today - tragic death, cancer diagnosis and Emmerdale role
With the semi-finals of this year's Britain's Got Talent well underway, we are edging closer to finding out who will be crowned winner of the talent show, landing a spot performing at the Royal Variety Show, and a whopping £250,00 cash prize.
Four of the five semi-finals have already aired, with the last show set to be broadcast this evening (May 24). Tonight, judges will decide which of the lucky remaining acts will go all the way to the final.
Joseph Charm, Blackouts, Jasmine Rice, and Olly Pearson all received golden buzzers, securing their spots in the final, with Hear Our Voices, Stacey Leadbeatter, Ping Pong Pang, and Vinnie McKee winning the public vote.
There have been 18 seasons of the hit talent show since it began all the way back in 2007. As fans prepare to celebrate this year's winner, The Mirror takes a look back at all the former winners of BGT, and where they are today...
2007 winner - Paul Potts
Paul Potts was the very first winner of BGT, and his performing career is still going strong nearly 20 years later. The tenor was working as a Lib Dem councillor on the Bristol City Council when he began his TV adventure, but after winning the overall competition decided to press pause on his day job for a few months before eventually quitting in March 2008.
His debut album, One Chance, went multi-platinum, charting in an incredible 13 countries. He has toured extensively ever since, including a series of dates throughout Germany this year.
2008 winner - George Sampson
Dancer George Sampson was just 14 years old when he secured the top spot and won BGT back in 2008. He's since worked as a presenter alongside his dancing gigs.
George has turned to acting, appearing in a theatre performance of Snow White, and starring on Emmerdale and Casualty.
An avid gamer, George has also started streaming as he plays online, and back in 2024, he posted a seriously sweet throwback to his time on BGT.
He shared a photo of his iconic outfit from the show—a black vest, matching tie, and crisp white shirt—which he had framed alongside photos of himself on the show, captioning the sweet throwback post "My own little piece of history."
2009 winner - Diversity
Dance troupe Diversity wowed fans of BGT when they took part back in 2009, and they still remain firmly amongst the favourite and best known acts ever to appear on the talent show.
The street dance group still tours to this day, with a concept show titled Diversity: Soul scheduled for next year, though a couple of members have also launched successful entertainment careers away from the group.
Perri Kiely took part in Dancing on Ice and also works as a radio presenter for Kiss FM.
Ashley and Jordan Banjo have become well-known TV personalities, with Jordan also trying his hand at boxing, stepping into the ring earlier this year.
2010 winner - Spelbound
Spellbound, a gymnastics group, stunned audiences during its 2010 season, which they eventually won. They were so popular that they also took part in the BGT Live Tour, but in the years since they took the top spot, the group's lineup has reportedly changed a bit.
Group member Lauren Kemp opened up about their win back in 2020, explaining just how surprised they were to be named champs - per The Express - "We didn't expect it at all. Everyone else seemed so sure that we would win, but we never thought that. People were even putting bets on us!"
2011 winner - Jai McDowall
In 2011, Jai McDowall, 38, won the fifth series of BGT, and the low tenor released his debut album Believe the same year.
After being dropped by his record label because the album didn't do as well as initially hoped, the Scottish singer kept performing, taking part in the BGT tour. In 2023, he joined the music group G4, replacing Lewis Raines as a low tenor.
He has also participated in a documentary about his career post-BGT, Talent Show Winners, presented by Michelle McManus.
2012 winner - Ashleigh and Pudsey
Trainer Ashleigh and her pooch Pudsey stole hearts when they took part in the sixth season of BGT, so much so that they won the whole thing.
Sadly, Pudsey passed away in 2017, with Ashleigh revealing the heartbreaking news on This Morning that her gorgeous pup had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia, which saw her break down in tears over the devastating news.
She now performs with her other dog, Sully, whom she has trained up. No one is going to replace Pudsey in the public's hearts anytime soon. However, Sully is, of course, an incredibly good boy.
2013 winner - Attraction
A shadow theatre group, 2013 winners, Attraction first rose to prominence in the UK after performing at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
Since BGT, they've appeared on TV shows like Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and America's Got Talent, and they were still putting on magical performances together in late 2023.
2014 winner - Collabro
The musical theatre group Collabro had a seriously good run after their 2014 win, but they called it a day in 2022.
As a goodbye to their fans, they released their final album, Be Still My Soul, in October of that year, followed by their farewell tour in December.
2015 winner - Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse
Jules sparked some serious controversy back in 2015 when the trainer and her pup Matisse were crowned winners. This was because their final performance actually included two dogs: Matisse and a very similar-looking and equally talented dog called Chase.
However, the public was not best pleased when they realised it wasn't just Matisse performing, and around 200 people complained, leading the TV regulator to conclude that BGT had misled the voting public.
These days, Jules and Matisse are reported to live in Belgium.
2016 winner - Richard Jones
Magician Richard Jones is one of BGT's biggest success stories, and his post-talent show career has gone from strength to strength.
His Sound of Magic tour is underway and scheduled to continue into 2026, with some shows selling out.
After BGT, he won the highest honour from the Inner Magic Circle - the Gold Star accolade, and has had serious success on the West End, starring in one of its largest magic shows.
2017 winner - Tokio Myers
Musician Tokio Myers has performed extensively since his BGT win back in 2017 and was the official artist of SXSW London 2025.
His album Our Generation was certified Gold in 2021, and its hotly anticipated follow-up Our Generation II is due to be released this year.
2018 winner - Lost Voice Guy
Lost Voice Guy - also known as comedian Lee Ridley - is a serious fan favourite. In 2023, he completed the Great North Run for the first time, and then undertook the half marathon again the following year, shaving a reported half an hour off his time.
In 2021, he collaborated with a technology company to create a voice with a County Durham accent.
2019 winner - Colin Thackery
Former serviceman Colin Thackery, 95, isn't letting anything get in the way of his love of music. Six years after his BGT win, he is still performing.
In 2022, they performed a moving medley in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee.
2020 winner - Jon Courtenay
Comedian and pianist Jon Courtenay suffered a serious health scare while on BGT, but he hasn't let that hold him back. Instead, he has used it as creative inspiration for one of his shows.
Doctors spotted his cancer early, whilst he was still participating in the semi-finals of BGT. He said later, "About 18 months ago, on my first visit here, I was stopped for a selfie and panicked that my cancer story would get out during @bgt. Today I'm back for my last treatment, and I've turned my story into a musical comedy show for Edinburgh. Funny old world.
"I can't speak highly enough of the doctors, nurses, consultants and staff here who have looked after me so well since this all began. As for my family and friends… I love you."
He took a show called The Big C to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival about his experiences and, in 2022, took another show called Against The Odds to the Fringe, later releasing a book under the same title.
He's continued to tour, and this year is working with Cunard Cruises.
2022 winner - Axel Blake
After a year off in 2021, BGT returned to our screens in 2022, and comedian Axel Blake took home the prize money and the coveted performance at the Royal Variety Show.
Since then, he has enjoyed sell-out tours and some high-profile TV appearances on Comedy Central and ITV.
The 36-year-old boasts nearly 600k followers on his Instagram, where he regularly posts comic skits. In 2023, he hosted a podcast with his teenage son called Like Father Like Fun.
2023 winner - Viggo Venn
Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn won the talent show combination of dancing and jokes back in 2023, and he is still touring across the UK.
At the time of his win, he said he was "embarrassed" by some boos in the audience, but he firmly won the public vote and took home the cash prize.
2024 winner - Sydnie Christmas
Singer Sydnie Christmas secured the top spot in 2024, and she has released her debut album, My Way, since the show finished. After touring the album, she is set to perform a one-night-only special at His Majesty's Theatre in London in August.
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