There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ magician Richard Jones delivered his winning performance in Saturday night’s (28 May) live final.
The former military man - who is the first magician to ever win ‘BGT’ in 10 series - took to the stage in full uniform for his final illusion, which saw him telling the story of a “very special” fellow magician and soldier who he says “inspires him the most in magic”.
Over the course of his three-minute performance, Richard used a deck of cards to tell the story of the soldier and magician, from his early days in the military to his troubling experiences in a prisoner of war camp.
All while doing card tricks, Richard explained: “He would perform not only for his comrades, to keep morale high, but he would also perform for the guards, who would give him and his friends extra food during the long periods of starvation.”
Richard then began what he said was this performer’s “favourite trick”, asking Amanda Holden to sign a card before “completely destroying” it, including with a lighter, only to put it back together, which he insists would “restore hope” among his comrades.
In a final emotional moment, the judges were visibly moved when Richard introduced the man himself, Fergus Anckorn, to the stage, before giving the war veteran a standing ovation.
Richard had previously described how he’d been desperate to keep details of his trick a secret from the media for as long as possible, to the point where certain elements were left out of his rehearsals completely.
However, his victory might be a controversial one for some, after some viewers noted that his semi-final performance was remarkably similar to a trick done by an act on ‘America’s Got Talent’ just two years ago.
Watch Richard's performance in full above.
Simon Cowell brushed off the controversy, though, insisting: “I see it as a testament to how we are as a country. We want everyone to do well, no matter where they are from. It’s a positive not a negative.”
However, by the time she made it through to the live finals, producers were accused of exploiting a vulnerable woman, with reports repeatedly suggesting she was struggling to cope with the media attention surrounding her.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Simon Cowell has later said: “Looking back on it all, it has become clear to me that we didn't handle the situation with Susan as well as we could have. Yet to be honest, when I analyse exactly what happened, I don't know that I could have done it any differently.”
Although Simon Cowell later allowed her to perform again at the end of the show, it was a memorably uncomfortable moment for BGT viewers, who questioned whether children should be allowed to take part in such a high-pressure competition.
However, David was met with a backlash from viewers when he made the unpopular decision to put through Christian Spridon, after his *ahem* unique take on Tom Jones’s Sex Bomb.
Claiming she was“relieved” to have been let go early, she added: “[Simon] was hours late. We would have to start at 9am and he wouldn't get there until 1pm. It was disrespectful to me, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. Throughout my career, if I have a call time of 9am, I'll be there at 8.30am ready to go. Simon didn't work like that, it was his party and he did it his way.
“It wasn't what I wanted to do anyway, I wanted to act. So when it didn't work out I wasn't bothered, it meant I could go back to doing what I really wanted to do."
J-Lo later insisted: “I don’t think I’m any racier than any other female pop artist. OK, I’ll wear a sexy outfit, but I think it’s more because my body shape’s a little different to other body shapes, so that’s not very fair.”
Eventually, the company issued a statement, insisting: “There has been speculation on the internet that Britain's Got Talent finalist Ronan Parke was known to and worked with Syco/Sony Music before entering the show. There is no truth in this story whatsoever. Ronan first came to Syco/Sony's attention when he entered this year's competition.”
Simon also addressed the controversy live on air, claiming: “There has been an allegation made in the papers - not in the papers actually, on the Internet - that Ronan Parke had a previous recording contract with me, that I’d bet him beforehand, both of which are complete and utter lies. He entered the show of his own accord, he’s 12 years old, this is a deliberate smear campaign.”