Ant and Dec used their golden buzzer to grant “old school” magician Matt Edwards a place in the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ semi-finals on Saturday (13 May) night.
When none of the judges pushed the buzzer, the duo decided to take matters into their own hands when Matt’s ‘Tequila’-themed audition ended.
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Shortly before they ran on stage to push the buzzer, Alesha Dixon told Matt: “We’re so distracted by you clowning and messing about that we’re not paying attention to what you’re actually doing, so therefore it’s even more magical.
“I really love you. I think you’re charming, I think you’re funny and I think you’re old school with a twist which is absolutely perfect for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.”
As the gold confetti came down, Ant explained to him: “We were laughing so hard we almost peed ourselves!”
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Dec added: “You’re 34 years old and for some reason you haven’t had a break yet, we just wanted to help.”
Matt isn’t the first of this year’s auditionees to win a golden buzzer. Last month, Alesha used hers to send dance act Just Us through to the final.
Amanda Holden has also used her choice, opting to fast track Daliso Chaponda to the semi-finals.
'Britain's Got Talent' 2016 Semi Finalists
Beau Dermott(01 of45)
Beau Dermott is a 12 year old student with an ambition to record her own music. She lives in Widnes with her parents, her brother Ben and their dog Bailey. Beau wowed the judges with her incredible performance of Defying Gravity from the hit musical Wicked. ‘Every moment counted. You have a massive future’ said Amanda as she pressed the first golden buzzer of the series for Beau. (credit:ITV)
100 Voices of Gospel(02 of45)
100 Voices of Gospel is a gospel choir made up of members from across the world, including the UK, France, USA and across Africa. Alesha wasted no time following their euphoric performance of This Little Light of Mine and pressed her golden buzzer straightaway, much to Simon’s disappointment who was left ‘irritated’ when Alesha beat him to it. (credit:ITV)
Ian and Anne Marshall(03 of45)
Ian and Anne Marshall had the crowd – and three of our judges – on their feet with their unique cover of Beyonce’s Crazy In Love. As David Walliams jumped on the desk to hit the Golden Buzzer, he described them as ‘the spirit of Britain’s Got Talent’. (credit:ITV)
Jasmine Elcock(04 of45)
Jasmine Elcock is a 14 year old student and singer from Essex, where she lives with her parents and her big brother. Jasmine has been singing since she was 4 years old and her biggest dream is to be a singer in the West End. Jasmine’s emotional rendition of Believe by Cher moved the judges, Ant & Dec and the audience to tears. Amanda described it as a ‘genuine joyous performance’ (credit:ITV)
Boogie Storm(05 of45)
A long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away… six Stormtroopers, joined by their mutual love of pop music, travelled across the galaxy to make their mark and showcase their moves on the Britain’s Got Talent stage. Their routine to a medley of pop classics, received a standing ovation and a golden buzzer from the Dark Lord of Music, Simon Cowell. (credit:ITV)
Alex Magala(06 of45)
Alex Magala, 26, is a professional sword swallower, originally from Moldova. He moved to America when he was 21, where he perfected his act. He has since entered a number of Got Talent shows across the world but he wants to conquer the British show as he thinks it is the best and he wants to impress Simon. He astounded the judges and the audience alike with his dangerous combination of sword swallowing and acrobatics. (credit:ITV)
Ana & Fia(07 of45)
Ana & Fia are a mother and daughter singing duo, originally from Indonesia, who live in Essex with Fia’s son and Ana’s brother. Their rendition of Barbra Streisand’s Tell Him received a standing ovation and moved the judges with Simon describing it as ‘the most amazing performance.’ (credit:ITV)
Another Kind of Blue(08 of45)
Another Kind of Blue is a group led by choreographer and creative director David Middendorp, 40. The group is made up of 4 members; Violet (23) and Antonino (28) are the dancers, while Madeline (24) and Davide (20) assist in the wings. They have been performing together for a year and specialise in a combination of technology, animation and dance. Their performance really impressed the judges who described it as ‘beautiful’ and ‘stunning’ (credit:ITV)
Balance Unity(09 of45)
Taylor Goodridge, aka Balance Unity, is a 17 year old full-time student and dancer from Hertfordshire, where he lives with his mother Karen and brother Presley, who are his biggest fans. He’s been dancing from a young age and, over the years, has developed a very unique and personal style. His funny and original routine received a standing ovation from the judges with Simon commenting ‘that was my favourite dance act we’ve had this year’. (credit:ITV)
Ben Blaque(10 of45)
Ben Blaque is a 37 year-old crossbow performer from Springfield, Missouri. Ben started his crossbow act several years ago and it has taken him all over the world including a past appearance on America’s Got Talent. For his audition he requested Simon’s help on stage and performed a blindfolded trick with his crossbow which shocked the judges. However, they were all so impressed with his act they gave him four yeses. (credit:ITV)
Bespoke Candi(11 of45)
Bespoke Candi is a group of performers aged 20-28 from London/Kent. Their performance, including fire dancers and a dinosaur, split the judges’ opinions. Alesha found it ‘genuinely confusing’ but David, Amanda and Simon loved it. (credit:ITV)
Bollywest Fusion(12 of45)
Bollywest Fusion are a dance group who merge together two different styles of dance, Bollywood and Hip-hop. Their goal is to appeal to a diverse audience and make a positive impact on the world. The judges were very impressed with their performance and combination of the two genres. Simon admitted he was annoyed he hadnât come up with the idea first. (credit:ITV)
Chloe Fenton(13 of45)
Chloe Fenton is a 10 year-old student and dancer from Liverpool where she lives with her parents, her brother and their pug Coco. Chloe is obsessed with dancing and started having lessons when she was a toddler. The judges were blown away by her energy and confidence and gave her four yeses. (credit:ITV)
The Collaborative Orchestra(14 of45)
The Collaborative Orchestra is a group of musicians and singers, aged 19-66, from London and the surrounding area. They have been performing together since 2012 but never on a stage as big as Britain’s Got Talent. They surprised the judges and the audience when a flash mob of orchestra musicians and singers appeared around the theatre throughout their audition. (credit:ITV)
Craig Ball(15 of45)
Craig is a 24 year old maintenance worker from Hertfordshire, where he lives with his girlfriend. He started doing impressions as a hobby and now has a YouTube channel to showcase them. For his performance of Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball he impersonated a number of celebrities and characters including Kermit the Frog, Morgan Freeman and Christopher Walken. Simon described him as ‘one of the most brilliantly original acts we have ever had on this show.’ (credit:ITV)
Darren Altman(16 of45)
Darren Altman is a 42 year old voice over artist and impressionist, who lives in Surrey with his wife Emma and young daughters Callie and Jessica. He has lent his voice for various projects across radio and TV including the 118 adverts but he has never done anything like Britain’s Got Talent. He made the judges laugh with his impressions of Jeremy Clarkson, Gok Wan, Boris Johnson and our very own Declan Donnelly. (credit:ITV)
The Deep Space Deviants(17 of45)
Paul is a record shop owner and lives with his wife and daughter in Chorley. A few years ago he created and started performing as his own version of Davros from Doctor Who, making a well-known villain fun. His medley of 80s classics wasn’t a hit with Simon but the rest of the judges found his act original and entertaining and gave him three yeses. (credit:ITV)
Elite Squad Royalz(18 of45)
Elite Squad Royalz is a street dance group from Oxford, who have all been friends from a young age. They are big fans of The Royal Family and performed on stage dressed as Queen’s Guards with a special guest appearance from ‘The Queen’. They surprised the judges with their routine which David Walliams described as ‘brilliantly imaginative.’ (credit:ITV)
Flying Bebop(19 of45)
Flying Bebop is a dance group led by art director and choreographer Antoine Marc (32). The group is made up of dancers Nadia (29) and Gavin (32). Their unique combination of drones and choreography impressed the judges who applauded both the dancers and the technicians for putting together such an original performance. (credit:ITV)
The Garnett Family(20 of45)
The Garnett Family is a four-piece group made up of mum Helen (46) and her three daughters Rachel (20) and twins Anna (17) and Abigail (17). Their audition was the first time they performed as a four-piece in front of an audience. The judges were impressed with their performance of Jess Glynne’s Take Me Home with David commenting: ‘the blend of voices was absolutely beautiful’ (credit:ITV)
Jack Higgins(21 of45)
Jack is a 14-year-old student and dancer from Liverpool, where he lives with his parents and his older brother. He started dancing aged 5, when his mum signed him up for breakdancing lessons and he has since moved on to ballet. Jack attends a vocational school, where he studies in the morning and spends the rest of the afternoon dancing. He impressed the judges with his moving routine. (credit:ITV)
Josh Curnow(22 of45)
Josh Curnow is a 26 year-old singer from Cornwall. He comes from a musical family and he currently makes a living from gigging, having previously worked in a bar. David took a particular shine to Josh during his audition, although he was disappointed to learn he had a girlfriend. Josh impressed the audience and judges with his vocals with David saying ‘it was a really strong audition.’ (credit:ITV)
Kathleen Jenkins(23 of45)
Kathleen is a 25 year old cleaner from Newport in South Wales, where she lives with her husband Shaun and her parents. Her family is very supportive of her, especially her dad, who tears up every time he hears her sing. Her performance of Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience with Simon saying ‘I think you are very special. (credit:ITV)
Khronos Agoria(24 of45)
Khronos Agoria are an all-male contemporary dance group made up of Brit School students and founded by teacher Julia Dark. Their dream is to continue performing together when they graduate and tour nationally. They wowed the judges with their performance piece which Amanda said ‘felt more like a piece of theatre.’ (credit:ITV)
Trip Hazard(25 of45)
Lucy, 30, is a dog trainer from Lincolnshire, where she lives with her fiancé Craig, four dogs and three cats. Lucy is competing with her dog Trip Hazard, a Maltese and Pomeranian mix. Lucy has competed in other talent shows with her dog Indie, including That Dog Can Dance. The judges and the audience all fell in love with the adorable Trip and his impressive tricks. (credit:ITV)
Mythical PSM(26 of45)
Mythical PSM are a dance trio made up of best friends Miguel (17), David (18) and Stephan (17). They have been performing together for two years and dream of making it big in the dance world. Their routine combined comedy elements with contemporary dance which was well received by the judges and the audience. Alesha named them the ‘Reggie and Bollie of dance (credit:ITV)
Morgan Smith(27 of45)
Morgan Smith is a 16 year-old singer from Watford where she lives with her parents and her younger brother. Morgan comes from a musical family and has been singing since she was 7. She wowed the judges with her rendition of Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind which they all agreed was ‘brilliant’ with David adding: ‘I would put you under the bracket of raw talent’. (credit:ITV)
Rachael Wooding(28 of45)
Rachael Wooding is a former West End performer and singer from Harlington, where she lives with her husband and their 1 year-old daughter. After taking time out from her stage career to have her daughter Rachael auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent to continue with her love of music. She wowed the judges with her emotional performance of With You from Ghost The Musical. (credit:ITV)
Richard Jones(29 of45)
Richard Jones, 25, is an Army Bandsman of The Royal Household Cavalry. Prior to this he was in the Parachute Regiment for 4 years. His mind reading and electric shocks wowed the judges with Alesha describing his audition as ‘fantastic, funny and engaging.’ (credit:ITV)
Shannon and Peter(30 of45)
Shannon (50) and Peter (46) Parker are dance teachers. They have been married for 15 years and live in Nottinghamshire with their son and daughter. Shannon moved to the UK from America when she was in her twenties and met Peter when she joined the Northern Ballet. The pair previously appeared on Got To Dance where they made it to the finals. They performed a touching routine which impressed the judges, moving Amanda in particular. (credit:ITV)
Spartan Resurrection(31 of45)
Spartan Resurrection is a performance squad from Fife in Scotland. The group, formed by instructor Sheelagh, is made up of boys and girls aged 13-23. The judges were on the edge of their seats during their audition which Alesha said was ‘dangerous, thrilling and incredible.’ (credit:ITV)
Tumar KR(32 of45)
Tumar KR are a robotic dance group from Kyrgystan, consisting of Omurzakov (25), Amazamt (25), Salamt (25) and Baiaman (19). Tumar KR are full-time artists and have been a group for 5 years. Their choreography impressed all the judges with Amanda saying ‘I don’t believe that you’re humans.’ (credit:ITV)
Vadik Raketa(33 of45)
Vadik Raketa is a 35 year old full-time entertainer from Belarus, who also runs his own children’s entertainment company. Vadik is married and has two young children. Although Alesha didn’t understand the dancing polar bear, the rest of the judges loved Vadik and The Bear’s performance. (credit:ITV)
Vitaly Voronko(34 of45)
Vitaly is a 25-year-old musician and composer from Belarus with a classical and jazz music background. His audition went slightly backwards as he began performing straight away and the judges weren’t able to have a chat with him until the end. Alesha, David and Amanda all loved Vitaly’s unusual performance of the Little Mermaid’s Under The Sea and Michael Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us. (credit:ITV)
Vox Fortura(35 of45)
Vox Fortura is a vocal group made up of Rodney (37), Thomas (39), Elias (29) and Julius (37). They have been a group since last year but they have all performed professionally as individuals, with key performances including the BBC Proms and West End Musicals. Their powerful performance of We Will Stand Together blew the judges away. (credit:ITV)
Wayne Woodward(36 of45)
Wayne, 20, is a part-time builder and singer from Sutton, where he lives with his mum and dad. He’s often compared to EastEnders’ star Danny Dyer because of the way he speaks. For his audition, Wayne sang Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight and completely surprised the judges with his smooth vocals. David admitted he ‘was not expecting that.’ (credit:ITV)
Ystrad Fawr Dancers(37 of45)
Ystrad Fawr Dancers are a Latin and ballroom dance troupe from Ystrad Fawr in South Wales. The group consists of 13 girls and 3 boys aged 14-17 and is led by ballroom dancer Carol and her husband Phil. Although the judges weren’t fans of their music choice, they loved their style and stage presence. (credit:ITV)
The Togni Brothers(38 of45)
Michael (21) and Dario (20) are foot juggling siblings originally from Birmingham. They were raised in Italy in the circus, as their Italian father comes from one of the largest circus families in Europe. Simon admitted he had never seen anything like it before and Amanda said they were ‘extraordinary’. (credit:ITV)
The Presentation School Choir(39 of45)
The Presentation School Choir from Kilkenny was created by choral director Veronica McCarron in 1995. The choir, made up of girls aged 14-18, wowed the judges with their powerful vocals and unexpected performance which Alesha found ‘very refreshing.’ (credit:ITV)
Christian Lee(40 of45)
Christian Lee is a magician and entertainer from London where he lives with his wife and three children. He performs magic and variety shows across the UK and dreams of running his own theatre company. Christian won the judges over with his comedy-magic routine which involved a pack of cards, a big balloon, a leaf blower and some help from Amanda. (credit:ITV)
Danny Beard(41 of45)
Daniel Curtis, aka Danny Beard, is a 23 year old drag cabaret act from Manchester. Before he started performing drag cabaret around the country, he worked as a DJ. Danny won over the judges, including an initially reticent Simon, with his powerful voice and his commanding performance of the song Sweet Transvestite from the musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (credit:ITV)
Mel and Jamie(42 of45)
Mel (45) and Jamie (16) are a mother and son singing duo from South Wales. They decided to audition together after Jamie hurt his arm and was unable to play his guitar. Their performance of Say Something by Great Big World and Christina Aguilera was praised by the judges. Alesha said: ‘Your harmonies blended beautifully together. It was a very emotional audition.’ (credit:ITV)
Richard Bayton(43 of45)
Richard Bayton is a 29 year old admin assistant from York. Richard auditioned in front of the judges two years ago and was buzzed by Simon, who also pressed Amanda’s buzzer when she wasn’t looking. This time around he performed his own unique medley of songs and although Simon buzzed him again, he received three yeses from David, Amanda and Alesha who said his act had improved since the last time. (credit:ITV)
Total TXS(44 of45)
Total TXS are a dance crew from Leicester, consisting of Kieron (19), Ryan (20), Oliver (18), Billy (18) and Charlie (16). They have been performing together for four years, after meeting at the same dance school and dream of having a career together as Total TXS. Their performance received 4 yeses from the judges who were impressed with their fun routine. (credit:ITV)
Zyrah Rose(45 of45)
Zyrah Rose is a classical singing group, made up of Charlotte, Kara, Emily and Christine. Their powerful rendition of Ed Sheeran’s I See Fire won the judges over. Amanda described it as ‘stunning’ and David said they were ‘four beautiful girls with fantastic voices.’ (credit:ITV)