BRITAIN’S Got Talent: The Champions hit TV screens on Saturday, August 31, with stars from across the world competing to be crowned the ultimate champion.
Here is the full line-up of who has taken to the stage and which acts are through to the next stage of the competition…
Week One line-up:
Simon Cowell has given one of his biggest television shows a complete overhaul and created Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.
The revamped series will see some of the show’s most recognisable acts battle it out to win the competition.
Every week ITV will reveal who is competing in the show that weekend.
Here is who took part in week one on Saturday, August 31, 2019 – as well as who is through to the finals!
Bello and Annaliese Nock – Through to the final
Comic daredevils Bello and Annaliese Nock, who are father and daughter, competed in series 12 and 13 of America’s Got Talent.
Annaliese wowed judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell with one dangerous stunt on the American version of the show.
To impress the panel she performed an exploding coffin stunt, which got her four Yeses and saw her sent to the Judge Cuts.
The daring duo didn’t hold back in their performance on BGT: The Champions with their terrifying yet hilarious display on the so-called “wheel of death”.
And it was enough for them to come out on top in the first week of the show.
Meaning the father-daughter act are now automatically through to the final of the show – which as yet does not have a confirmed date.
Kseniya Simonova – Golden Buzzer and through to the final
Kseniya Simonova is a sand artist and the winner of Ukraine’s Got Talent series one and finalist of America’s Got Talent: The Champions.
She won the Ukrainian version of the show in 2009 and placed third in America’s Got Talent: The Champions.
The sand artist has won countless awards since appearing in the first series of Ukraine’s Got Talent.
She has been honoured by the Mayor of her hometown, Yevpatoria, and was the winner in the special nomination “Success of the Year” of Crimean Council of Ministers.
When Kseniya took to the BGT:The Champions stage on August 31, 2019, she had the viewers and judges in tears.
And her emotional performance won her Amanda’s Golden Buzzer – meaning she automatically made it to the competition’s final.
Before her act she explained that she works with children who have cancer and she creates sand stories to “encourage them to keep fighting”.
At the start of her performance she created a number of tranquil pictures, set to beautiful backing music.
Her sand story then depicted the poorly children she works with in hospital.
At the end of emotional story, she created a picture of a child smiling – to show they had got better.
Kseniya ended the performance by writing ‘Never Give Up’.
This certainly bowled over Amanda who straight away pushed her Golden Buzzer, much to the audience’s delight.
Speaking about why she pressed the button, Amanda said: “I heard at the beginning you said you work with cancer patients, specifically children, so the whole message was very uplifting and very emotional.
“But I think for me, your sort of quiet skill requires no language, no nothing. This is the champions of champions, with all nationalities, we’re going across the world, your performance, nothing needed explaining, you did it all with just sand.”
Simon also revealed he wanted to push the Golden Buzzer, as he was so moved by her performance.
Paul Potts – Eliminated
The opera singer did exceptionally well during the first series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2007 and won the competition.
Winning the show changed his life, with him going on to release his debut album, One Chance, that year, which topped the charts in 13 countries.
He has appeared on Oprah twice, announced a global tour and has concerts in South Korea, Japan, Germany and Wales this year.
Also, Paul appeared on season one of America’s Got Talent: The Champions and made it to the Grand Final, beating out other previous Got Talent winners from around the world.
Paul’s story to success inspired the Hollywood film One Chance, starring The Late Late Show’s James Corden.
Despite the Bristol-born star blowing the crowds away with his impassioned performance, it was the end of the road for Paul.
And the judges and viewers alike were shocked that he failed to make it through to the final.
Instead he lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
Ashleigh and Sully – Eliminated
Ashleigh Butler was victorious in 2012 when she appeared on the show with her beloved dog Pudsey.
The mutt was such a hit with Simon, he produced Pudsey: The Movie, with David Walliams voicing the dog.
However, since the passing of the pooch Ashleigh has been performing with a canine called Sully.
After announcing Pudsey’s replacement in 2017, she said Sully would “never become Pudsey”.
Ashleigh was one of the first acts to appear in the premiere episode on Saturday, August 31, 2019.
And she certainly put on a display with her canine sidekick Sully with an energetic performance to Mary Poppin’s A Spoon Full of Sugar.
However unfortunately despite their efforts, Ashleigh and Sully made it to a respectable third place but didn’t make it through to the final.
They lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
The Nelson Twins – Eliminated
The comedy duo, who consist of identical twins Chris and Justin Nelson, were finalists of Australia’s Got Talent in series eight.
They were raised in rural New South Wales and have won several comedy awards.
Their TV credits include Australia’s Got Talent, The Footy Show, NBC’S Last Comic Standing and 2010 Australian IQ Test.
Chris and Justin have also appeared in a host of TV/internet commercials including Pepsi Next, X-Box and Canadian Club.
On August 31, 2019, the Nelson Twins took to the BGT: The Champions stage with a funny skit – wearing their matching iconic yellow Australian tracksuits of course.
However despite getting laughs from the judges and audience alike, it was the end of the road for them.
The twins lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
Connie Talbot – Eliminated
Connie may only be 18 but she is a BGT veteran after coming second to Paul Potts in the first ever series of the show.
She appeared on the first series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2007 when she was aged six.
Despite never having received singing lessons she wowed the judges.
In the final she sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow but missed out to winner Paul Potts.
Simon Cowell originally intended to sign Connie to his label Sony BMG but pulled out of the deal after deciding she was too young.
On August 31, 2019, she took to the BGT: The Champions stage to play the piano and sing an original song which she says sounds like a relationship song but is really about never giving up on her dreams.
And despite getting rave comments from the judges who deemed her a star, she didn’t make it through to the finals.
Connie lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
Bad Salsa – Eliminated
Sonali won India’s Got Talent series four and Sarder was a semi-finalist in series six and seven.
Now, the dancing duo will compete in the British version of the show as Bad Salsa in a bid to be crowned the ultimate champion.
Sonali was just seven-years-old when she won the show in 2012 with her then dance partner Maraju Sumanth.
On August 31, 2019, Bad Salsa took to the BGT: The Champions stage with a very colourful performance to a medley of songs.
And despite getting rave comments from the judges who praised their performance, they didn’t make it through to the finals.
Bad Salsa lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
Boogie Storm – Eliminated
Dance troupe Boogie Storm, who wear Storm Trooper costumes when they perform, competed in series 10 of Britain’s Got Talent.
Their energetic routines impressed the judges and viewers and saw them reach the final in 2016.
They placed third that year, behind magician Richard Jones, who won the series, and singer Wayne Woodward.
On August 31, 2019, Boogie Storm took to the BGT: The Champions stage to perform an energetic dance to a medley of songs.
However unfortunately despite their efforts, Boogie Storm made it to runner-up but didn’t make it through to the final.
They lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
The Sacred Riana – Eliminated
The Sacred Riana, whose real name is Marie Antoinette Riana Graharani, won the second series of Asia’s Got Talent.
Her creepy and ghostlike illusions and magic later earned her a spot on America’s Got Talent in 2018.
However, she was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the thirteenth series, which was won by Glennis Grace.
On August 31, The Sacred Riana took to the BGT: The Champions stage with another terrifying performance where she targeted judge Amanda Holden in the suspense-ridden act.
Despite instilling fear in the audience and judges alike, it was the end of the road for The Sacred Riana.
She lost out to Kseniya Simonova – who got the Golden Buzzer from Amanda, immediately taking her through to the finals – and Bello and Annaliese Nock who got voted through to the next round too.
Week two line-up:
Alexa Launeburger – Through to the final
Alexa Launeburger auditioned for the 11th series of Germany’s Das Supertalent, which kicked off its premiere on September 16, 2017.
By December 2017, Alexa had won the series with the help of a dozen dogs, but controversy surrounded her win once it was claimed that the teen hadn’t trained the animals herself after all.
In the midst of her time on Das Supertalent, her father Wolfgang Lauenburger had also made an appearance on German television, having shown off his own skills with pets on the Sat.1 show Superpets – Die talentiertesten Tiere der Welt.
His performance was a very similar number to Alexa’s act, but at this point, it no longer mattered since the youngster had already won the competition.
MerseyGirls – Through to the final
MerseyGirls, formerly known as Just Us, are a group of five girl pals who have been dancing together since the age of five.
Julia, Annie and Alice, Rebecca and Poppy make up the group, who formed when they were just five years old.
The girls wowed on their first audition on series 11 of Britain’s Got Talent and received the coveted Golden Buzzer from judge Alesha Dixon.
They then got through to the final where they came in fourth place.
Paul Zerdin – Eliminated
Paul Zerdin is a British comedian and ventriloquist from London.
He got his first puppet from a family friend when he was 10 years old and his love of performing was born.
Before auditioning for America’s Got Talent, Paul made a number of TV appearances in the UK including presenting kids show Rise and Shine on GMTV for two years and winning The Big Big Talent Show in 1996.
The ventriloquist, 47, is touring the UK in 2019 with his Puppet Party.
Jai McDowall – Eliminated
Jai McDowall is a Scottish singer-songwriter born on July 24, 1986, in North Ayrshire.
Jai won Britain’s Got Talent in 2011 with a cover of Josh Groban’s hit To Where You Are.
His first audition in Liverpool won him three yeses and positive feedback from judges Michael McIntyre, Amanda Holden and David Hasselhoff.
And during the semi-final, his performance of Evanescence’s Bring Me To Life garnered him the most public votes on the night.
But it was his rendition of Josh Groban’s classic that won him the competition and the £100k prize money in the final.
Lost Voice Guy – Eliminated
Lost Voice Guy is called Lee Ridley.
He became the first comedian to win the show in its history back in 2018.
In the final which drew in 8.7 million viewers, he edged out competition from musical comedian Robert White, who came second, and singer Donchez Dacres who placed third.
After being crowned victor, the comedian was clearly touched confessing: “I have been blown away by the support of the judges and the general public.
“I’m very excited to perform in front of the Queen.”
Before joking: “I’ve loved her since she sang Bohemian Rhapsody.”
He also revealed: “When I am performing, it’s as if I have finally found my voice – and it’s a great feeling making people laugh.”
Gao and Liu – Eliminated
Couple Gao Lin and Liu Xin are Chinese acrobatic dancers who wowed Britain’s Got Talent audiences with their impressive routine in 2017, that saw Liu stand on her husband’s shoulder on pointe, on one leg.
Besides Britain’s Got Talent, the pair also competed on Asia’s Got Talent in 2015.
They made it to the live finals but were beaten in the end by Filipino shadow puppet troupe El Gamma Penumbra.
Asia’s Got Talent judge Mel C got up in the middle of judges’ comments to award the pair her Golden Buzzer.
The duo have also auditioned for China’s Got Talent and China’s So You Think You Can Dance.
Deadly Games – Eliminated
Alfredo and Anna Silva are from Las Vegas, Nevada, and met eight years before their audition.
The couple married in 2014.
Alfredo and Anna, known as knife thrower duo Deadly Games, competed on season 11 of America’s Got Talent in 2016.
They were eliminated at the semi-final stage.
In their act Alfredo threw knives towards Anna as she stood still before she turned her back on him and moved from side to side as he continued to throw knives.
100 Voices of Gospel – Eliminated
100 Voices of Gospel is a gospel choir, with members from over 20 different countries, who all appeared on the talent show in 2016.
For their audition, they performed a touching rendition of This Little Light of Mine, blended in with all kinds of acrobats, stunts, harmonies and plenty of vocal control.
It wasn’t that much of a shock when Alesha Dixon pressed the Golden Buzzer for the choir, which automatically sent them straight to the semi-final.
Alesha beat Simon Cowell to the Golden Buzzer as he admitted he wanted to send them through too.
Antonio Sorgentone – Eliminated
Antonio Sorgentone is a 37-year-old pianist from Abruzzo who won the 2019 edition of Italy’s Got Talent.
Antonio, who deems the late Renato Carosone as his favourite musician, grew up in a house where almost everybody in the family could play an instrument.
And at the age of 10, he decided to commit all of his attention on his music career.
His audition was so well received that record producer Mara Maionchi awarded him a Golden Buzzer, which instantly sent him straight to the live semi-finals.
LATEST CHAMPIONS GOSS
When is Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions on TV?
The BGT spin-off started on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 8pm, on ITV.
The series will run for six weeks, with the show likely to end on October 5, 2019.
Contestants and judges filmed the final at Wembley Arena at the end of July and accidentally revealed the winner.
The act who won the contest showed off their trophy outside the arena after the grand finale was shot.
However, we will not spoil it for you by revealing their identity but if you do care to know who won the show, a simple Twitter search will bring up the answer in no time.