Tonight, the nation tunes in as Britain’s Got Talent unveils its grand final, with 10 acts battling for the £250,000 prize and a coveted spot at the Royal Variety Performance. Among the finalists is Jeremy Clarkson’s The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, a group originally formed to feature in an advert for his beer brand.
Clarkson recently took to Heart Radio to praise the choir, urging fans to vote for them and thanking judge Amanda Holden for advancing the group to the semi-finals via the golden buzzer.
As anticipation builds for the live show, Britain’s Got Talent’s inaugural winner, Paul Potts, shared his thoughts on the choir’s chances with Sky Vegas.
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Addressing the potential influence of their celebrity association, Potts remarked, “The Hawkstone Farmers Choir feel a bit like an advert for Jeremy Clarkson’s brand. Usually, such close ties to branding would raise questions.”
He added, “Whether that helps depends on their genuine talent.”
Potts expressed reservations about their vocal strength, stating, “They weren’t the strongest choir vocally. The Lux City Choir — despite some criticism for being over-produced — had a much stronger performance and probably deserved a spot in the final more.”
Highlighting the choir’s early performance, he noted, “The Hawkstone Farmers Choir were a bit pitchy at the start for me. They’ll do well, but I don’t think they’ll win.”
Looking beyond the choir, Potts threw his support behind Filipino singer Matty Juniosa. Describing Matty as “vocally exceptional,” he also acknowledged, “His bubbly personality might not be for everyone, but his talent is undeniable.”
Potts weighed in on the competition mix, observing, “There are too many magicians this year. With last year’s winner being a magician, they might split the vote.”
Overall, Potts felt the musical acts were “especially strong this year,” though he lamented that contestants might not have received “the best opportunity to shine.”
He was also critical of the buzzer system integral to the show — the red buzzer to end acts early and the golden buzzer to fast-track standout performances. He said, “At this stage, buzzers shouldn’t be necessary. If someone isn’t good enough, they shouldn’t be in the competition.”
He added, “Novelty acts like Mr Cherry are fun, but they don’t belong in the semi-finals or finals. No act should be deserving of three buzzers.”
Among the other finalists are Anastasiia and Salsa, Sadeck Berrabah, LMA, Fabian Fox, Liwei Yang, Ted Hill, Sonny Green, Rafferty Coope, and Celestial.
Britain’s Got Talent airs tonight at 7:30 pm on ITV and ITVX.