A drag cabaret performer with a glittery gold beard will be hoping to convince the Britain’s Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams tonight that he is fit to perform for the Queen.
As auditions come to a close, 23-year-old Danny Beard from Manchester will take to the stage in a sequin skirt, heels and dramatic face paint for a rousing performance of Sweet Transvestite from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Danny Beard sings to the judges (ITV)
Simon even gets a mention in the song – as Danny points to him while singing the lyric, “I’ve been making a man with a tan”.
The winner of the ITV talent show, now in its 10th year, will have the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Show win a £250,000 prize.
Another act impresses the judges as soon as he walks on stage.
Charlie catches the eye of the judges straight away (ITV)
“Hello, did you forget something?” asks Simon – as aerialist and professional acrobat Charlie Placais stands shirtless in front of the audience.
Simon adds: “Charlie, meet David. David, meet Charlie" and David Walliams is smitten.
When Charlie says he is from France, Amanda Holden cries out: “Ooh, bonjour!”
With David, Amanda and Alesha Dixon already impressed, the heavily-muscled 29-year-old goes on to show off his upper body strength during his unusual routine, which features a bathtub filled with water – although viewers will have to wait until the programme airs to see if this earns him four yeses.
Charlie takes an impressive dip (ITV)
Mother-and-son duo Mel and Jamie from Wales are also hoping for good news from the judges after banding together just weeks before their audition.
Jamie, 16, originally applied for the show as a solo act.
But facing nerves, he asked his mother, 45-year-old care home singer Mel, to come and perform on stage with him.
She recalls: “He said, ‘I can’t do it, will you come and sing something with me just to back me up?’”
Jamie invited his mum to perform with him (ITV)
The two sing A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera’s Say Something as a duet.
With the auditions over, the judges are faced with the difficult decision of narrowing down their choices to just 45 semi-finalists.
Simon says: “Ten years, you have to run out sooner or later – or so I thought. Personally, I think this could be overall the best we’ve ever had.”
The five Golden Buzzer contestants – Beau Dermott, 100 Voices of Gospel, married couple Ian and Anne, Jasmine Elcock and Boogie Storm – are guaranteed a place in the semi-final, leaves 40 more semi-finalists to be found.
All the acts who received three or more yeses from the judging panel gather at the London Palladium to hear their fate, as the judges deliberate and argue over who to put through.
On one act, Alesha complains that it was “the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever watched in my entire life”.
David answers: “It’s the most dangerous thing we’ve ever had on Britain’s Got Talent, that’s why we’ve got to put him through.”
Britain’s Got Talent's final auditions air tonight on ITV at 8.00pm. The live semi-finals run on ITV from Sunday May 22 to Thursday May 26 at 7.30pm.
