Britain’s Got Talent contestants Chickenshed have warned “the UK isn’t ready” for what they have in store for the show’s semi-final.
Judge Alesha Dixon pressed the golden buzzer for the north London theatre group this weekend following their singing and dancing routine to Wonder by Naughty Boy featuring Emeli Sande.
The group will be fast-tracked to the show’s live semi-finals where they hope to recreate their first-round success.
Chickenshed performer Gabriel Palmer, 20, told the PA news agency: “It is a weird feeling right now, we are still trying to wrap our heads around it, but we’re working extremely hard to make sure that first performance we did is not a fluke, and we’re just working really hard to make sure that we put out another great performance.”
Jimmy Adamou, 23 said he was excited to head straight to the live shows, adding: “The UK isn’t ready.”
Dixon struggled to hold back her tears while she watched the group perform and she said it was an “honour” to send the group through as they pride themselves on inclusivity and celebrate young people.
Speaking to the group after she pressed the golden buzzer, Dixon said: “I love every single thing that you stand for and that you represent, inclusivity is so important, everybody feeling represented, and you do that in abundance.
“You’re giving young people this incredible opportunity and platform and honestly, I don’t know what else is more important than that.”
Reacting to the performance, judge Simon Cowell said: “I’ve known about Chickenshed for a long time and I’ve always wondered when is the year you’re going to come on Britain’s Got Talent and this performance summed up everything you do.
a moment filled with wonder 🤩 #goldenbuzzer #bgt @bgt pic.twitter.com/aMryL99vlj
— CHICKENSHED (@CHICKENSHED_UK) April 22, 2023
“This really, really, really, really is a golden buzzer audition, that’s what it is for.”
Chickenshed member Cara McInanny, 26, said the moment she saw the gold confetti start to flicker down made her proud of the 800-strong theatre group.
She told PA: “She got our message, she got the conversations that we were trying to say on stage.
“I looked around and at first I didn’t realise what was going on because everyone reacted in a different way. Some people were screaming, some were crying, some people were confused.”
Mr Adamou added: “No matter how short-lived our Britain’s Got Talent journey – we are on a long-term journey which will carry on and on. We are not giving up on celebrating our young people.”
The group hope their performances will help show their potential and believe they can blow away their audiences.
Mr Palmer said: “We’re the future generation. We’re the people that’s going to be taking the world forward so if you don’t believe in us how are we going to do that.
“I’m glad that we get to be on the show and have the opportunity to send that message that you need to really believe in us, you need to give us that chance to be great.”
Chickenshed was founded in 1974 by musician and composer Jo Collins and teacher and director Mary Ward.
In the late 80s, Lady Rayne became president of the company, resulting in Diana, Princess of Wales becoming a patron of the theatre company.
Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV1 and STV.