BRITAIN’S Got Talent is back on the box and brings with it a whole host of weird and wonderful acts.
But there can only be one winner and they get to walk away with a HUGE prize.
What prize does the winner of Britain’s Got Talent get?
Over the years Britain’s Got Talent has crowned 16 winners.
The BGT champ gets to take home a whopping cash prize of £250,000.
The winner is also offered the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.
Prior to these generous prizes, the first five winners of Britain’s Got Talent were given £100k, but Ashleigh and Pudsey benefitted from the most generous year scooping £500,000 in 2012.
Who is being tipped to win BGT 2024?
Season 17 of Britain’s Got Talent kicked off on April 20, 2024,
Sydnie Christmas is the frontrunner to win the new series.
She wowed the audience and the BGT judges with her rendition of Tomorrow from Annie.
Amanda Holden was so moved that she hit the Golden Buzzer for the talented singer.,
Ravi and his Dream Team are also being tipped to scoop the BGT crown.
The young boy and his choir won Alesha Dixon’s Golden Buzzer following a very moving performance.
Who are the past BGT winners?
Paul Potts – 2007
The phone salesman-turned-singer won the first series of Britain’s Got Talent.
After releasing several albums, a biopic called One Chance was created starring James Corden as Paul.
He has gone on to release six studio albums and is constantly touring.
George Sampson – 2008
George Sampson won the heart of the nation as a street dancer.
After winning he turned to acting and appeared in Waterloo Road and Emmerdale.
George has also appeared in shows in the West End.
Diversity – 2009
Diversity won the third series of the show, beating Susan Boyle.
They’re arguably one of the most remembered and successful of past BGT winners, having continued to perform and have spin-off careers in reality and competitions shows.
Ashley Banjo in particular has remained in the spotlight, becoming a judge on Dancing On Ice.
Spelbound – 2010
The gymnastics troupe wowed Simon Cowell and the nation, beating Twist and Pulse to the title.
Spelbound went on to perform at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
Jai McDowell – 2011
Despite being signed to Simon Cowell’s record label, Jai McDowell’s success didn’t last long after his debut album didn’t perform well.
He was dropped, so he went on to support other artists on tour including Gareth Gates.
Ashleigh and Pudsey – 2012
Pudsey passed away in 2017, and Ashleigh now performs with her new dog, Sully.
Before Pudsey sadly died, he had a showbiz career staring in TV, theatre and film.
In 2014, the film Pudsey The Dog: The Movie was released.
Attraction – 2013
Another memorable winner, Attraction are a Hungarian shadow theatre group who put on emotive performances.
However, there was some controversy over a foreign act winning the show.
Afterwards they performed in Las Vegas and were used in adverts.
Collabro – 2014
Collabro are a classical music group, who now have three studio albums behind them.
One member, Richard Hadfield, decided to quit in 2016.
Speaking about his decision at the time, he said: “I decided it was time to leave the band to focus on my mental health and happiness.”
Jules O’Dwyer & Matisse – 2015
Another dog act, but this one with fresh controversy behind it.
A second dog was actually involved in the act as Matisse couldn’t do the heights required for their winning performance.
Ofcom ruled this as misleading the audience.
Richard Jones – 2016
A magician finally won the show in 2016 after many came close in previous years.
Richard Jones is a former army officer, and his career change paid off as he was able to go on tour after BGT.
He even had a one-off TV show called Operation Magic.
Tokio Myers – 2017
Tokio Myers is a musician and since the show has worked on his own album plus performed on a charity record in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors.
He’s opened up about his past, saying that he saw his headteacher get stabbed– making him want to focus solely on building a career in music.
Lost Voice Guy – 2018
Lost Voice Guy was the first comedic act to win the show.
He had lost his voice in childhood due to cerebral palsy.
Losing his voice hasn’t stopped him though, he’s performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and released his own book.
Colin Thackery – 2019
Colin Thackery is a pensioner who won by singing the wartime classic We’ll Meet Again.
He vowed to give his prize money away to the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which is where his family lives.
Jon Courtenay – 2020
The 2020 series of Britain’s Got Talent may have faced several interruptions due to the ongoing pandemic, but the show managed to see comedic pianist Jon Courtenay crowned the winner.
He received the golden buzzer from hosts Ant and Dec in his first audition.
His final performance moved the judges to tears with a tribute to his late father, and he won the nation’s heart with his comical song about 2020.
Axel Blake – 2022
Comedian Axel Blake beat singer Tom Ball and ventriloquist Jamie Leto to be crowned winner
Axel, who was also Simon’s golden buzzer choice, couldn’t believe he’d scooped the £250K prize.
He won the show after delivering a stream of jokes during his incredible final performance which left the judges and the audience at home in tears of laughter
Viggo Venn 2023:
The reigning BGT champ is comedian Viggo Venn.
The eccentric Norwegian became a judge favourite from the start thanks in part to his high-energy act and high-vis yellow jackets.
He was crowned Britain’s Got Talent 2023 winner ahead of Lilliana Clifton who came in second place, and Cillian O’ Connor placing third.
Britain's Got Talent Judges
The ITV talent show wouldn't be the same without the four charismatic judges who put the contestants through their paces.
Simon Cowell is the staple of Britain’s Got Talent and resumes his role as head judge. The mogul is one of the most iconic figures in music and is responsible for offsetting the careers of many performers around the world.
Amanda Holden has been a judge on Britain’s Got Talent since it first started in 2007. The sexy star is a firm fixture on the judging panel, which has helped her to become a household name.
Alesha Dixon is back to judge the new series of Britain’s Got Talent. The TV star joined the panel back in 2012 and quickly became a fan favourite.
Bruno Tonioli makes up the fab four. After leaving Strictly, he decided to move over to ITV and is the newest BGT judge after replacing David Walliams.