Magician dubbed ‘favourite’ to win Britain’s Got Talent voted through to final

A magician and a Double Dutch group have joined the Britain’s Got Talent grand final line-up.

Judge Simon Cowell said nuclear engineer-turned-magician Jack Rhodes is “the favourite to win the entire competition” after a “jaw-dropping” performance during the second semi-final of the ITV talent competition on Tuesday.

Japanese skipping group Haribow also won a spot in Sunday’s final after Cowell said they were “one of the best acts we’ve ever had” based on “skill and being unique”.

The pair join South African opera singer Innocent Masuku and South Korean taekwondo group Ssaulabi Performance Troupe on the bill for the final after they were voted through on Monday.

The second live semi-final of the week saw Rhodes receive the most votes from the public and win an automatic final place, after a performance involving card tricks, dynamite and the magician breaking out of a TV.

“You really are one in a million, you’ve got everything,” Cowell said, while fellow judge Alesha Dixon added: “I love the fact that you take the mickey out of yourself, but actually you are a show-off in the best way.”

Double Dutch group Haribow, who have only been skipping together for four years, achieved the audience golden buzzer during their first audition, meaning they were automatically sent through to the next round.

“Going back to that audition, it was honestly one of the biggest reactions we’ve ever ever had on an audition,” Cowell said after their energetic semi-final show.

The group beat choir Ravi’s Dream Team for the final spot on the bill. They were Dixon’s golden buzzer choice during the auditions.

The choir, who advocate for brain tumour charities after Ravi Adelekan was diagnosed with a benign tumour in his brain stem at the age of six, sang a rendition of Take That’s Greatest Day.

“That’s what I call a moment,” Cowell told the group.

Ravi said after their Britain’s Got Talent audition aired on TV that celebrities had been in contact with him including Jack Grealish, Jermaine Jenas, Monica Galetti, Paloma Faith “and Coldplay’s drummer”.

The cast of Disney’s Frozen The Musical opened the live show singing hit songs from the musical, before co-hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly came on stage holding character Olaf’s hand.

Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals will air each day until Friday at 8pm, with Sunday’s final at 7.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.