Alesha Dixon was stunned to see a familiar face auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday night – a pianist from her 90s girl group Mis-Teeq.
The singer achieved overnight success with former bandmates Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington following the release of debut album Lickin’ On Both Sides in 2001 at the height of the UK garage scene.
But when the ITV show returned to screens, Alesha, 44, quickly realized she had seen someone she knew.
Gemma auditioned as part of a 350-strong “community choir”, the group’s leader, revealing she put the number together with her husband Howard.
At that point, Alesha interjected, admitting, “I actually know Howard pretty well… How are you, Howard?”
Famous: Alesha Dixon was left stunned on Saturday night after seeing a familiar face auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent – a pianist from her 1990s girl group Mis-Teeq
New judge Bruno Tonioli, who wanted to know at the time, asked: “How do you know him?”
“Because he used to play for Mis-Teeq,” Alesha explained.
The community choir, called The Big Sing, consisted of singers ranging in age from three to 83.
They then blew everyone away with a powerful performance of Emeli Sandé’s Brighter Days, surprising the arena by hiding in the audience.
Howard played the piano for the choir, which received a standing ovation, as well as four yes votes from the jury.
Alesha praised the choir’s talents and struggled for words.
“How can we sum it up?” she said surprised.
“I was just so happy about the whole thing. Outstanding.’
Old faces: When the ITV show returned to screens, Alesha, 44, quickly realized she saw someone she knew
Old days: The singer became an overnight hit after releasing debut album Lickin’ On Both Sides (pictured in 2003) with former bandmates Sabrina Washington and Su-Elise Nash.
“It reminded me of the scene in Wizard of Oz where everything is black and white and then the magic happens,” added Amanda.
Elsewhere on the show, Britain’s Got Talent returned to screens with a bang on Saturday night as a magic act left judges Alesha and Amanda in tears.
Cillian O’Connor, 13, performed a series of amazing stunts, including reading Simon’s mind.
The Irish schoolboy admitted that before he turned to magic, he had social problems due to autism and that it changed his confidence.
After receiving a standing ovation and later four yeses, he broke down in tears and hugged his mother, leaving Amanda and Alesha momentarily emotional.
Amanda said: “You’ve screwed me and Alesha over. You’re amazing.
“Great showmanship, I’m glad the magic gave you so much confidence, but most of all you’re a little superstar.”
Alesha added, “I loved everything about it and especially you, it’s obvious how much it means to you, which makes it very special.”
Proud: Gemma auditioned as part of a 350-strong ‘community choir’ leading the group and revealed she put together the number with husband Howard
Miscellaneous: The community choir, called The Big Sing, consisted of singers aged three to 83
And Bruno said: “I was completely fascinated by what you do, which is an incredible quality for someone so young. They have a fantastic future ahead of them.’
Twitter was full of impressed fans after the performance. One person wrote: “This young magician is really good and I’ve been to a few Derren Brown shows. Seems like a nice guy too.’
Another added: “This autistic wizard ruled the man.”
A third said: “As a person who has lived with autism all my life, I am extremely proud of your performance as one of the greatest magicians I have seen at BGT so far.”
Elsewhere, another person said: “Absolutely brilliant, brought tears to my eyes.”
Just as impressed, the viewers wrote: “Well done, Cillian” and “Well done”.
It comes after Simon revealed he was “not involved” in David Walliams’ decision to quit judging Britain’s Got Talent.
The TV mogul broke his silence on the comedian’s departure, admitting he would never condone his sexual comments towards other contestants, for which he apologized before leaving the show.
Talented: Britain’s Got Talent judges were moved to tears after 13-year-old Cillian O’Connor performed the magic act on Saturday’s show
Simon added that while he was an executive producer and judge on the show, discussions about David’s departure involved other producers who were “more hands on”.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: “I wasn’t really involved in the decision. As far as I know he has decided to resign.
“We told the two producers, ‘You have to make the final decision,’ because yes, I’m an executive producer, but they’re more hands-on.”
Simon added that for much of his time on BGT, David was “very respectful and emotional” towards other contestants.
But he continued: ‘We had a conversation. But you know, he admitted what he said, he wasn’t proud of what he said. It’s not something I will ever condone.’
The comments, made during the London Palladium auditions in January 2020, were recorded by the show’s microphones and released in December 2022.
During the audition, an older cast member chatted with the judges, during which he made a joke about Walliams. After the audition, the retiree left, after which Walliams apparently referred to him as “C***” three times.
Breaking his silence: It comes after Simon revealed he was ‘not involved’ in David Walliams’ decision to quit Britain’s Got Talent judging
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
