Britain's Got Talent finalist says his lovemaking is 'fast, energetic, maybe a bit passionate' as he denies raping two women

Daily Mail​

30-04-2025

A former Britain's Got Talent finalist accused of raping two women has described his sex in court as 'fast, energetic, maybe a pit passionate' but claims his relationships have always been consensual.
Andrew Johnston, 30, who shot to fame on the show as a choirboy who came third in the final, allegedly gripped both his victims by the throat and refused to wear a condom.
Johnston, who was studying for a two year diploma in opera at the Royal Academy of Music at the time, denies two counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
He gave evidence at Southwark Crown Court today wearing a grey suit and a black tie - even appearing to hold back tears at time.
Former choirboy Johnston was just 13 when he finished in third behind dancer George Sampson on the second series of the ITV talent show in 2008.
Johnston won a £1 million record deal with Syco Music, a label owned by Simon Cowell, and his album 'One Voice', released in September 2008, made it to number five in the UK charts.
He explained that after he had met the first complainant they agreed to go for coffee.
'We went for a couple of coffees. I invited her round to my Marylebone flat. That is the first time we slept together.'
'Was the sex always consensual?', asked Rupert Kent, defending.
Johnston replied: 'Absolutely consensual, yes'.
He said that on another occasion he turned up drunk at the woman's flat, and he ended up sleep walking out of the flat.
'I have never sleep walked in my life. That is the first time I have ever sleep walked.' He said that he and the woman had sex the following day 'possibly more than once.'
'Do you remember whether a condom was used?', asked Mr Kent.
'A condom was used, yes', Johnston replied.
'I never put my hands anywhere near her neck. My hands were a little above her shoulders... I never held her arms down. She never told me to stop at any point during the intercourse.'
'Do you remember whether she slammed on your chest?', asked Mr Kent.
'She never slammed on my chest', he replied.
Mr Kent asked the singer: 'Did you ever apologise to her?'
Johnston replied: 'I never apologised because I never did anything wrong. I never saw any blood. She never mentioned any bleeding at all'.
However, he accepted that the sex had been 'energetic'.
'I was energetic, fast, I was attracted to her. I was a bit passionate. I was never aggressive towards her at all. I wore a condom at all times.'
He accepted that he had been messaging a lot of different women at this time, including a friend of the first woman.
'It was stupid, immature. I probably hurt people's feelings. I wasn't wanting anything more permanent at the time. I should have been more open that I wasn't.'
He said that he met the second complainant on the dating app Hinge, and that they met up at a bar.
'We had a really interesting conversation. We got on really well.'
He said that she invited him back to her flat.
'We started kissing. I was getting unchanged, she was getting unchanged. We then just began to have sex.'
He said that the sex lasted about four or five minutes.
'I never removed the condom. I did not remove the condom.'
'At any point did you hold her around the throat?', asked Mr Kent.
'I did not, no', replied Johnston.
'Did you get a sense that she wanted you to stop?'
'No, not at all'.
He said that a few days later the woman invited him to her flat and offered to cook him meatballs, but that he stood her up.
'I stood her up. It wasn't nice. I was seeing quite a few people at the time, that's why I didn't communicate.'
Johnston told the jury he has 'never sung a note' since the allegations were made against him and he has suffered from depression, his mental health is 'terrible' and he has broken up with a girlfriend.
Giving evidence in court yesterday, his second alleged victim told how she initially was having consensual sex with Johnston, before he placed his hands around her neck and removed the condom without permission.
In her police interview, she said she moved his hands away as he was 'actively grabbing' towards her throat and she was 'trying to insinuate that this is not OK'.
At some point he stopped and removed the condom, and carried on having sex, the court heard.
On the suggestion it should have been immediately obvious she had been raped, the woman said: 'No, I think it takes time to work out.'
She added: 'I wanted to gloss over it. I wanted to be able to move on and not to be dealing with years of the aftermath of this.'
The victim said she had asked to meet with Johnston after the incident to discuss it.
Johnston, of Carlisle, denies two charges of rape and one of sexual assault on a female.