Britain’s Got Talent most unforgettable performances from Susan Boyle to Diversity

Following the festive period, has resumed its auditions, with hopefuls travelling to to see the judges. This is the first time ever that there are no London auditions.

Returning to the judging panel are fan-favourites , , , and , along with the incomparable hosting duo .

Due to Bruno’s other commitments, internet sensation turned rapper KSI briefly stepped in as a guest judge.

BGT’s upcoming instalment premieres on in February, giving fans a front seat to the search for the nation’s next superstar, who will win a life-changing £250,000 cash prize and a spot on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.

Ahead of the competition’s return, here is a look back at its 17-year history and some of the most unforgettable performances to grace the screens.

Susan Boyle 

Any list would be incomplete without Susan Boyle who shocked the nation with her captivating performance of Les Miserables’ I Dreamed A Dream.

The then 47-year-old arrived on stage to a grumpy Simon Cowell who had faced a string of bad auditions and wasn’t expected to be blown away.

Susan’s rousing performance was met with roaring applause and standing ovation from the judges and live audience.

Although she finished in second place in the 2009 series, the singer went on to enjoy a successful career after selling 25 million copies of her debut album, a sold-out tour and becoming an author.

Susan also made UK music history by becoming the first female artist to achieve three successive album debuts at No.1 in less than two years.

Stavros Flatley

Father and son duo, Demetri and his son Michalis “Lagi” Demetriou had judges in fits of laughter and became an instant hit on the show.

After introducing themselves, they returned to the stage topless and donning blonde wigs to perform their comical British-Cypriotic dance routine.

Lagi, who was 12 at the time, and his then 40-year-old father came fourth in the series and toured places including China and Monaco.

In 2019, the loveable duo returned to Simon Cowell’s reality show for Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions and finished second before announcing their retirement.

These days Lagi is focused on family life, after marrying his partner Annika Crawford in 2022 and welcoming two daughters, Xenia and Demetria Demetriou.

Darcy Oake 

Canadian-born magician Darcy Oake impressed judges and left viewers in awe after making four live doves seemingly appear out of thin air.

He made it all the way to the 2014 final but Darcy unfortunately lost out to musical group Collabro.

After the show, he landed a one-off magic show, Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality on ITV, and returned for Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.

Lee Ridley – The Lost Voice Guy 

Lee Ridley became the first comedian to triumph in Britain’s Got Talent while wearing funny t-shirts to highlight his disability.

Throughout the show, the star, who lives with Cerebral Palsy, uses a synthesiser to speak after losing his voice.

Among his hilarious performances, he gained one of his biggest laughs during the final with the joke: “I started off in a disabled Steps tribute band. We were called Ramps.”

After winning the 2018 series, Lee received £250,000 in prize money and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.

Ghetto kids

The Ugandan dancing sensation, Ghetto Kids claimed Bruno’s first golden buzzer during his debut as a judge last year.

The dance troupe made up of six youngsters between the ages of six and 13 captured the hearts of viewers and even brought Bruno to tears with their vibrant performance.

Although they missed out on swiping the top three spots of Britain’s Got Talent’s final, their audition has proved to resonate with fans, as it currently has 32 million views.

After the show, the group also got the opportunity to perform in front of and during the Royal Commonwealth Service.