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The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Britain's Got Talent 2025 winner revealed leaving fans stunned after tense live final
BRITAIN'S Got Talent has crowned this year's winner after an intense finale showdown. Simon Cowell , Alesha Dixon , Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli were back one last time to give their thoughts on this year's acts – though the result was down to the public vote. 15 The judges were back one last time to declare this year's winner Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Harry collapsed to the floor after winning the show Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Magician Harry won over the public with his routine Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 The magician jumped in from a plane in the showstopping stunt. Credit: ITV Revealing the results backwards live on stage, Ant and Dec declared magician Harry Moulding as the winning performance. After beating out 10 other finalists to take home the victory, Harry As part of his routine, he jumped out of a plane and completed a skydive while correctly guessing the cards of the judges, who were left mystified. This year's finalists were chosen after a string of semi-finals over the past five weeks, where both the public vote and the judges' Golden Buzzer gave power to who would make it to the last show. READ MORE BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT It resulted in one of the most mixed finals in years, with an LED act, a ping-pong paddle wielding dance troupe, two singers, an 11-year-old guitarist, a drag queen, a comedian, a choir, a magician and a gymnast all vying for the top spot. Bruno Tonioli declared the finalists "the strongest Britain's Got Talent had ever had". 15 Ping Pong Pang gave their all to their final routine Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Comedian Joseph tried to win over the audience with his stand-up routine Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Hear Our Voice performed an original routine Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Han and Fran got a second shot at the final as this year's wildcard finalists Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The Final Showdown The final 10 acts were: Hear Our Voice, The Blackouts, Harry Moulding, Stacey Leadbeatter, Olly Pearson, Ping Pong Pang, Binita Chetry, Joseph Charm, Vinnie McKee and Jasmine Rice. On top of that, singing duo Han and Fran were brought back to the show as the wildcard finalists – being announced at the beginning of the series. Most read in TV The pair performed an ABBA medley in order to kick off the night's show, with Simon saying he was "giving the people what they want" when they chose them to respond. After that were Danish group Ping Pong Pang, a unique, neon-loving dance troupe who performed a routine dancing with paddles. Simon told the group: "If you won, it would be an F You to a certain group of people to deserve it.' Stacey Leadbetter, who secured KSI's golden buzzer, then took to the stage, singing a version of Robbie Williams' iconic track, Angels. Comedian Joseph Charm then took to the stage, waxing lyrical on relationships, his family, and racism in the UK. "You made everybody feel a part of your act, you weren't afraid to go to the uncomfortable places - we need to go there more," said Alesha Dixon. "I praise you, I'm proud of you. Congratulations, my friend." Vinnie McKee then took to the stage, performing Yellow by Coldplay and being cheered on by fellow Scot Lorraine Kelly. 15 Vinnie McKee wowed audiences with his vocals Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Olly Pearson brought the show to a close despite minor technical difficulties Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Simon was critical of the performance, telling him: "If I'm being honest with you, I did prefer the song you sung in the first semi." He then quickly added: "But it doesn't matter, you did brilliant." as boos rung out among the audience. Drag Queen Jasmine Rice then dazzled with a performance of Nessun Dorma – breaking down in tears as Amanda declared that "she thought she had just seen the winner of Britain's Got Talent". Nine-year-old gymnast Binita Chetry was cheered on by her parents as she took to the stage next - with Simon calling her "one of the most talented contestants they'd ever had" after their audition. Performing a daring routine to Everybody Wants to Rule The World, the youngest finalist left the judges staggered by her performance. The Blackouts – whose semi-final run was dogged with a technical error – took to the stage with a nearly flawless performance starting with the Robbie Williams song, 'Let Me Entertain You'. Bruno told them: "Absolutely dazzling, you blew my mind! I thought I was at the Royal Variety already!" Harry Moulding was next up, taking inspiration from Tom Cruise by jumping out of a plane as part of his latest trick - completing a skydive from 12,000 feet as he correctly guessed judges' cards. "All I can say is Mission Accomplished!" joked Bruno at the impressive feat. Finishing the night's final performances was 11-year-old rocker Olly Pearson, who was given a special message from Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson ahead of their guitar-shredding set. However, Ant and Dec were forced to stall after a technical hitch meant the youngster's staging wasn't ready. As the voting lines opened, viewers were treated to an appearance from KSI, who appeared as a replacement judge throughout the series, and Tom Grennan. Britain's Got Talent is available to watch in full on ITVX. Britain's Got Talent 2025: Finale Ranking Here's how the scores played out in the finale WINNER: RUNNER UP: THIRD PLACE: 4TH : 5TH : 6TH : 7TH : 8TH : 9TH : 10TH : 11TH: Hear Our Voice, The Blackouts, Harry Moulding, Stacey Leadbeatter, Olly Pearson, Ping Pong Pang, Binita Chetry, Joseph Charm, Vinnie McKee and Jasmine Rice, Han and Fran 15 Jasmine Rice won over the audience with a performance of Nessun Dorma Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Amanda Holden stole the show with a staggering white dress Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 The Blackouts managed to avoid any technical issues with their routine Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Stacey Leadbetter enchanted viewers with her performance of Robbie Williams' Angel Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Nine-year-old Binita was the youngest finalist on this year's show Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Australians voting in national election as Trump's influence looms
Australians are voting in a national election this weekend, and President Trump appears to be playing an outsized role as nations continue to respond to the vision of U.S. foreign policy he's put in place in the first 100 days of his second term. Polling stations on the eastern coast of the country, which includes Sydney and Melbourne, opened Saturday at 8 a.m. local time and close at 6 p.m. (4 a.m. ET on Saturday). In Western Australia, which includes Perth, the poll closing time comes two hours later. Australia's vote comes just a week after Canada's elections, where Mr. Trump's influence was also felt. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — whose numbers spiked as he pushed back against tariff threats and Mr. Trump's jibes about annexing Canada into a "51st state" — crushed Pierre Poilievre's hopes to return the Conservative Party to power after a decade of Liberal Party rule. The center-right Liberal-National Coalition in Australia led the polls for nearly a year and had seemed to be on a path to form a government. Since Mr. Trump took office in January, however, the coalition's support has plummeted, and it now trails the Labor Party by 4.4 points, according to YouGov. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has run a campaign echoing Mr. Trump's messaging focusing on the economy. His Liberal Party, whose motto is "Let's get Australia back on track," proposed cutting government waste and mandating federal workers return to the office. "It was literally as if Dutton was copying what the United States government was doing, and I think as such, that ended up being enormously unpopular," Alan Tidwell, a professor of Australian, New Zealand and Pacific studies at Georgetown University, told CBS News on Friday. The economic downturn in Australia in recent years in the wake of the pandemic initially threatened center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's prospects of remaining in power. But Dutton's similarities to Mr. Trump and the U.S. president's growing unpopularity among the Australian public seem to have boosted Albanese's chances. Still, Albanese has embraced a moderate approach to Mr. Trump, refraining from criticizing him directly. When asked during a debate last month whether he trusts Mr. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Albanese said he had "no reason not to" trust either leader and said in a separate radio interview that he would speak with Mr. Trump after the election, should he win. "I assure you I'm not staying up at night trying to ring anyone at the moment," Albanese said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton attend the 7NEWS "The Final Showdown" leaders' debate on April 27, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton faced off again in their final head-to-head debate before the federal election takes place on May 3. LUKAS COCH / Getty Images But Tidwell told CBS News that even if tariffs were reversed, Mr. Trump's unpopularity in Australia would still impact the election. "It's not saving Labor to the point where they can win an outright majority, but I think that they will win office with a minority government," he said. Australia is among several nations with which the U.S. does not have a trade deficit, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The two nations signed the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement in 2004, and it took effect on Jan. 1, 2005. Last month, Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, asked U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer why Australia was included on Mr. Trump's tariff list. "The idea we are going to whack friend and foe alike undermines our national security and, frankly, makes us not a good partner going forward," Warner said. The U.S. was Australia's second-largest trading partner after China in the 2023-24 financial year, according to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. While it is unclear if American tariffs would prompt China to fill the gap, Beijing's increased presence in the Indo-Pacific is considered a national security threat by Canberra. The Australia, U.K. and U.S. trilateral security partnership Australia and the U.S., along with the U.K., also share a close national security relationship, known as AUKUS, which was formalized in 2021. The trilateral security partnership also allows Australia to obtain Virginia-class nuclear submarines, which are expected to join the Royal Australian Navy's fleet by the early 2030s. Nishank Motwani, senior fellow and director of alliance strategy at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute USA in Washington, D.C., told CBS News that AUKUS matters a lot to Australia's defense capability, but it needs to show the Trump administration how Canberra is being a responsible ally when it comes to defense spending to counter China. "With a more influential China, which is more coercive and aggressive in the way in which it is just carrying out its affairs in the Indo-Pacific, Australia needs to do more as a way to push back against China's ability to carve out its sphere of influence," Motwani said. As the Trump White House redefines America's leadership role abroad and imposes tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, only 36% of Australians expressed any level of trust in the U.S. "to act responsibly in the world," according to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, whose survey in April also noted this was a "new low in two decades" of its polling. "The level of distrust has certainly shot through the roof," Tidwell said. "But I think that Donald Trump's launch of the trade war and his other comments about Canada and the Panama Canal and Greenland have all really upset the apple cart, and Australians are really wondering, what does the future hold?"
Sky News AU
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Jim Chalmers continues to wage tireless scare campaign that Coalition would construct nuclear power plant in Peter Dutton's seat of Dickson.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has claimed for the second consecutive day that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would construct a nuclear power plant in his marginal Qld seat of Dickson, despite the Coalition's nuclear energy plan containing no such proposal. The Treasurer's relentless scare campaign was sparked after Peter Dutton outlined during the final leaders debate that he would feel comfortable having a nuclear power plant in his own electorate of Dickson. 'I would have a nuclear site in my own suburb," Mr Dutton said during Channel 7's The Final Showdown. Speaking in Brisbane on Monday, Mr Chalmers capitalised on the Liberal leader's remarks, stating that Dickson residents should prepare for the imposition of a nuclear power facility. 'To all of those people in that wonderful part of southeast Queensland, in the electorate of Dickson, you all need to know that your local member wants to build a nuclear reactor in your suburbs,' Mr Chalmers said. Speaking in Brisbane on Monday Mr Chalmers capitalised on the Liberal leader's remarks, stating that Dickson residents should prepare for the imposition of a nuclear power facility. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire. 'Ali France (Labor candidate for Dickson) is not going to build a nuclear reactor in your local community but Peter Dutton wants to. I would encourage you to think about that as you choose your local member." When the claim was first made by Mr Chalmers, a Coalition statement labelled the accusation as false and unfounded. 'We have been emphatic that only the seven identified communities, each with a retiring or recently retired coal fired power station, are being considered as possible locations for zero-emissions nuclear energy," the statement read. 'No other locations will be considered. Dickson is not among the seven sites identified by the Coalition." However, Mr Chalmers speaking alongside the Prime Minister in the Greens held seat of Griffith on Tuesday again insisted that the Coalition sought to impose a nuclear power station in Dickson. 'We are not doing what Peter Dutton wants to do, which is build a nuclear reactor in the suburbs of his local community,' Mr Chalmers said. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday in the electorate of Whitlam which covers the southern Illawarra and NSW Southern Highlands, Mr Dutton categorically ruled out building a nuclear site in Dickson and accused the Prime Minister of playing political games. 'Those seven sites were identified around the country. There's not one in my electorate. So, the Prime Minister can play all sorts of games,' Mr Dutton said. 'We've been upfront in relation to the seven sites that we've identified for the end-of-use coal-fired power stations where there's already polls and wires going out, so you save 28,000 new kilometres of poles." Speaking to reporters on Tuesday in the electorate of Whitlam, Mr Dutton categorically ruled out building a nuclear site in Dickson and accused the Prime Minister of playing political games. Picture:. The Coalitions nuclear energy plan has become a controversial issue throughout the federal election trail, with Mr Dutton's campaign event in Gilmore on Tuesday morning hijacked by anti-nuclear protesters. Picture The Coalition's nuclear energy plan has become a controversial issue throughout the federal election trail, with Mr Dutton's campaign event in Gilmore on Tuesday morning hijacked by anti-nuclear protesters. When asked about the anti-nuclear protesters earlier today, which disrupted him from pledging funding for a local football club, Mr Dutton blamed the Teals and the Greens for pulling 'stunts'. 'In relation to the kids who I think were disappointed to have their event disrupted, it would have been nice to spend more time with them but there were Greens and Teal supporters dressed up and it was a stunt,' Mr Dutton said. 'It made no difference to me in terms of protest activity, but it disrupted an event where we wanted to talk about helping kids play junior rugby." The Coalition has proposed two nuclear sites in Queensland. One is in Tarong, 120km northwest of Brisbane, and the other is slated for Callide, about 585km north west of Brisbane, in central Queensland.
