Welcome to the second part of our BGT countdown! This week the trailer landed, fetching a curious Cinderella theme – discover it here. This week we’ll be exploring the show’s biggest surprises, where there was more to an audition than first met the eye. We see unpredictability as a key reason for Talent walloping its karaoke-only rivals in ratings – rollerskating teddy bears breaking out into opera are much more fun than endless sobbing teenagers…
Kicking off the countdown with a recent shocker, we never anticipated 9 year-old Jesse, sporting an innocent character, to launch a merciless sword-wielding karate attack. Backflips, high kicks and very angry faces followed endearing smiles and cute interviews – and she rounded off proceedings with one heck of a scream. Never could looks be more deceiving!
Shocks aren’t always immediate. Michael Jackson tribute Suleman Mirza stunned the crowd with his virtuous moonwalking before being joined by an odd fellow posing as a cleaner. Bewilderment strikes judges and hosts alike. Moments later, the case was closed – the shady geezer lobbed his broom across the theatre and broke out into passionate, simultaneous dance with his sidekick.
Size XL (sorry!) mum Anya told us of her passion for dance – but nobody expected this. Much like Signature and Jesse-Jane, Anya felt no need to hold back, leaping off chairs and tossing her hat off the stage as she launched into an amateurish-yet-powerful boogie. To a sassy Britney classic, no less.
How could we leave series 3’s Scottish sensation off the list? After all, her audition catapulted BGT from national hit to international phenomenon. Many cruelly ridiculed her looks as she stepped confidently before the crowds – moments later, people were stunned by what they were witnessing as Boyle’s voice roared across the auditorium. A single song made her one of YouTube’s biggest ever viral stars and a multi-millionaire – but she still resides in the modest council estate where she began…
So, those are four auditions that proved our first doubts wrong – and countless others have done the same over the last 10 years. Let us know of your fave shock moment at @CelebMix!