BGT winners Collabro denied place in The Champions final

Former Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro have been denied a place in the final of spin-off show The Champions.

The musical theatre group returned to the stage to do battle with acts from other Got Talent series around the world but did not make the cut to move on to the next round.

Instead they were pipped to the post by singers Bars and Melody, who performed new song Waiting For The Sun.

The duo, made up of rapper Leondre “Bars” Devries and singer Charlie “Melody” Lenehan first appeared on the show in 2014, when judge Simon Cowell pressed the golden buzzer for them.

Appearing on The Champions, they won the audience vote of super-fans to land a place in the final and Cowell told them: “In my opinion, this was so much better than anything you did in the live show.

“It is quite fascinating to see the progress.”

Also landing a place in the final was dance duo Twist and Pulse, who were runners-up on the fourth series of BGT.

The pair made it through to the next round when judge Alesha Dixon pressed the golden buzzer, telling them: “You are like straight out of a computer game, I could watch you forever.”

Collabro, who won the show in 2014, had hoped to secure a spot with their rendition of Who Wants To Live Forever by Queen.

Returning to the stage, the group also addressed the departure of singer Richard Hadfield, who confirmed in 2016 that he had left the line-up over tensions with bandmates Jamie Lambert, Michael Auger, Matt Pagan and Thomas Redgrave.

Before performing, Redgrave said: “When we were on BGT last we were a five-piece.

“We have been a four-piece now for the past three years.

“We are still really excited about going on stage every single time, we have been working really hard and we can’t wait for you to hear what we have got in store for you.”

Also failing to win a spot in the final was sword swallower Alex Magala, who won Russia’s Got Talent and was a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, former finalist and magician Ben Hart, America’s Got Talent finalist and comedian Vicki Barbolak and singer Gennady Tkachenko, who was a finalist on Das Supertalent, as well as comedian Daliso Chaponda and Asia’s Got Talent finalists DMX Comvalenoz.

Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions is on ITV on Saturdays at 8.30pm