The Mirror examines what happened next for the previous talent show winners of Britain’s Got Talent 2025 as the final round draws near and where they are now.
We are getting closer to knowing who will win the talent show, get a spot performing at the Royal Variety Show, and win a staggering £250,00 cash prize as the semi-finals of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent are well underway.
The final show is scheduled to be broadcast this evening (May 24), with the other four semi-finals already broadcasting. Tonight, judges will decide which of the lucky remaining acts will go all the way to the final.
Hear Our Voices, Stacey Leadbeatter, Ping Pong Pang, and Vinnie McKee all received golden buzzers, earning them their spots in the final.
The popular talent show has run 18 seasons since it first aired in 2007 totaling only 18 seasons. 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…
READ MORE: Britain’s Got Talent’s CJ Emmons has life-saving surgery but vows to still perform
2007 winner – Paul Potts
Paul Potts won BGT for the first time, and he continues to do so nearly 20 years later. The tenor left Bristol City Council in March 2008 after winning the overall competition, but after that, he decided to put a few months on his day job.
His debut album, One Chance, received numerous platinum records and sold in 13 different countries. He has toured extensively ever since, including a series of dates throughout Germany this year.
George Sampson, the 2008 winner,
When George Sampson won the BGT in 2008, he had only been 14 years old. 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.
George, an avid gamer, started streaming his online games, and he even posted a seriously sweet throwback to his BGT days back in 2024.
He shared a photo of his iconic outfit from the show, which included photos of himself on the show and a black vest, matching tie, and crisp white shirt, with the caption “My own little piece of history” (my own little piece of history).
Diversity 2009 winner
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.
Although a few members have also established successful entertainment careers outside of the group, the street dance group continues to tour to this day and has a concept show called Diversity: Soul scheduled for the following year.
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. Although they were so well-known, they also participated in the BGT Live Tour, according to reports that the lineup of the band has slightly changed since then.
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.
The Scottish singer continued playing and participating in the BGT tour after being rejected by his record company for the album’s poor performance. In 2023, he joined the music group G4, replacing Lewis Raines as a low tenor.
He has also participated in Michelle McManus’ documentary Talent Show Winners, which features his post-BGT career.
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 will soon have the heart of Pudsey in the eyes of the general public. Sully is, of course, a very good boy.
2013 winner – Attraction
Attraction, a shadow theater company that won the 2013 competition, first gained notoriety in the UK as a result of its performance at the 2012 Olympics’ opening ceremony.
They’ve been on TV programs like Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and America’s Got Talent since BGT, and they were still putting on magical performances together in late 2023.
2014 winner – Collabro
After winning in 2014, Collabro, a musical theater company, had a very successful run, but they decided to end it in 2022.
In October of that year, they released their final album, Be Still My Soul, to bid their last farewell to their fans, and then staged a 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.
Around 200 people complained, leading the TV regulator to believe that BGT had misled the voting public, and the public wasn’t at their best when they realized it wasn’t just Matisse performing.
Jules and Matisse are reportedly residing in Belgium at the moment.
2016 winner – Richard Jones
One of BGT’s biggest successes is magician Richard Jones, whose post-talent show career has grown steadily.
His Sound of Magic tour is currently in progress and is expected to last until 2026, with some performances ending.
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
Tokio Myers, a musician, has been a regular at SXSW London 2025 since winning the BGT in 2017.
His album, Our Generation, was awarded Gold in 2021, and his eagerly awaited follow-up, Our Generation II, is set to be released this year.
Winner of 2018: Lost Voice Guy
Lost Voice Guy – also known as comedian Lee Ridley – is a serious fan favourite. He first ran the Great North Run in 2023, and he then reportedly cut a half-hour off of his time the following year.
In 2021, he collaborated with a technology company to create a voice with a County Durham accent.
2019 winner – Colin Thackery
Colin Thackery, 95, a former service member, isn’t letting anything stop him from loving music. He is still performing six years after winning the BGT.
In 2022, they performed a moving medley in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
2020 winner – Jon Courtenay
Jon Courtenay, a comedian and pianist, was severely ill while watching BGT, but he hasn’t let that deter him. 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. I love you, dear friends and my family.
He introduced his experiences in a play called The Big C to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022, and he later published a book with the same title.
He’s continued to tour, and this year is working with Cunard Cruises.
2022 winner – Axel Blake
Axel Blake won the prize money and the coveted performance at the Royal Variety Show after taking a year off in 2021.
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
Viggo Venn, a Norwegian comedian, won the comedy talent show combination of dancing and jokes in 2023, and he is still performing in the UK.
He claimed at the time of his victory that he was embarrassed by some audience boos, but he firmly won the vote and won the cash prize.
2024 winner – Sydnie Christmas
Sydnie Christmas, the singer who won the 2024 Grammy award, has had her debut album, My Way, since the performance was over. She will perform a one-night only special at His Majesty’s Theatre in London in August after completing the album’s tour.
The live semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent airs tonight (May 24) at 7 pm on ITV1.
READ MORE: ‘The difference is remarkable’ say L’Oreal Paris shampoo users and it’s now cut in price
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply