Midlands Britain's Got Talent star Connie Talbot returns to show in champions edition
She was the six-year-old who stole the heart of a nation on Britain’s Got Talent.
And Connie Talbot will return to ITV for a champions version of the show, starting tonight.
The singer, from Streetly, will be shown to viewers in her original appearance as a young girl when she sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow and moved judge Amanda Holden to tears.
The young schoolgirl came second to Paul Potts, launching her as a star in her own right.
Now, 12 years later, she returns to perform an original song to an audience of thousands at the SSE Arena, Wembley.
The 18-year-old still sings, appearing in Birmingham last year for the Young Voices events. She is also still releasing music and her YouTube channel has millions of hits,
She said: “When I look back it is like it’s a different person, I was so small and had no teeth.
“I still can’t believe I made it to the final. It didn’t upset me that I didn’t win, I was happy to be there.
“It is a risk to put yourself back in front of the judges, but winning Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions would be the perfect ending.”
After her performance of Never Give Up On Us, Simon Cowell pays tribute to her for helping to raise the profile of his most successful TV series when it first started.
Referring to her new look, Cowell says in the show: “Connie, you have teeth.
“I will remember that first audition for the rest of my life.”
His fellow judge Amanda Holden says: “You have done yourself proud, I was so emotional.”
Speaking of Connie, Holden added: “Firstly, I felt really old. Then I just felt kind of overwhelmingly proud of her, and of how our show is a platform for people who can realise ambitions and dreams.”
Judges Simon, Amanda, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams all return for tonight’s show with hosts Ant and Dec.
For six weeks the series will include the best contestants from across the world.
Familiar faces from the Britain’s Got Talent hall of fame – including Paul Potts and dog act duo Ashleigh and Sully – will return.
Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions will see past winners of the talent show from around the world competing against each other to be crowned the ultimate champion.
One of the show’s most successful acts, Potts, will transport judges Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden back to his first audition in 2007.
The former Carphone Warehouse employee, who won the first series of Britain’s Got Talent, will battle it out with the other eight acts to win one of two places in the show’s finale.
Ashleigh, who was winner of the sixth British series, the year Alesha Dixon and David Walliams debuted as judges, will perform with new dog Sully following the death of her companion and winning mate Pudsey in 2017.
One of Cowell’s “favourite acts ever”, Storm Boogie, complete the line-up of British acts in the spin-off’s first episode.
But it is not just stars from the British TV show joining the spin-off, as a daredevil father and daughter duo draw gasps from the judges and the audience on the wheel of death.
Sand artist Kseniya Simonova - who won Ukraine’s Got Talent in 2009 - joins Indonesian spooky illusionist The Sacred Riana and Australian comedy duo the Nelson Twins.
Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions airs at 8pm tonight.
