They came in their hundreds, taking – they hoped – their first tentative steps on the path to stardom.
Young and old performers alike queued hours for a chance to impress in the first audition for Britain’s Got Talent 2025 on Saturday.
The line of hopefuls trailed 300 yards from the entrance to London’s Kia Oval cricket ground, bringing guitars, drums, harmonicas and eardrum-busting vocals.
They were brimming with confidence for the first open audition of the ratings-topping TV talent show.
Star judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tolioni are not involved in the opening stages of the selection process.
Young and old performers alike queued hours for a chance to impress in the first audition for Britain’s Got Talent 2025 on Saturday
Talent show veteran Steve Ritchie was still looking forward to his audition, despite years of experience which once made him a Cowell protege and reality show star
Mother-of-seven Camelia Pantea, 60, dressed in a brightly-coloured cavalryman’s outfit in the hope of dazzling the panelists with a set about bravery
Instead, the would-be showstoppers did their turn before the BGT producers, who select those to go before the panel early next year.
Mother-of-seven Camelia Pantea, 60, dressed in a brightly-coloured cavalryman’s outfit in the hope of dazzling the panelists with a set about bravery.
Her first choice song was Mariah Carey’s Hero, but she had back-up numbers praising the courage of patients battling diseases.
The Romanian-born contestant said: ‘I am optimistic of course, like everybody. I have prepared ten songs but I have only rehearsed for a month.’
Ten-year-old Ibni Rocks is already a seasoned performer on a variety of instruments, but wanted to drum his way onto BGT with the handpan.
The steel percussion instrument resembles a flying saucer but sounds like a Caribbean steel drum and is thought to be Swiss in origin.
Ibni has been drumming since he was three, first performed in public aged seven with a Ghanaian act, and has concerts lined up in Spain.
The youngster from Wiltshire said he was confident about wowing the BGT producers but added modestly: ‘I will just try my best.’
The Romanian-born contestant said: ‘I am optimistic of course, like everybody. I have prepared ten songs but I have only rehearsed for a month’
Ten-year-old Ibni Rocks is already a seasoned performer on a variety of instruments, but wanted to drum his way onto BGT with the handpan
The youngster from Wiltshire said he was confident about wowing the BGT producers but added modestly: ‘I will just try my best’
Daisy Bullock, 15, travelled from her Bristol home with mother Claire Bullock, 46, and best friend Alex Dumville, 15, to belt out Sir Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
She said: ‘We’ve been travelling for about an hour and a half. We got up at five in the morning but we really wanted to be here’
His mother Dien Luu, 47, said: ‘He just loves to perform. That is all he wants to do and we just encourage him to do it.’
Talent show veteran Steve Ritchie was still looking forward to his audition, despite years of experience which once made him a Cowell protege and reality show star.
The 43-year-old from Colchester reached week 6 of X-factor in 2014 and took fifth place in Celebrity Big Brother the following year.
He said: ‘I’ve been performing since I was 15 years old. I’m matured now. I’m getting older and uglier and want to see where I am with my life.
‘I thought ‘sod it!’ Let’s give this one more go and I’m here now. You never know your luck.
‘I’m ten years on from X-factor, but I’m still performing, I’m still gigging, and I’ve got panto booked. So it’s my day job, another audition.’
Daisy Bullock, 15, travelled from her Bristol home with mother Claire Bullock, 46, and best friend Alex Dumville, 15, to belt out Sir Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
She said: ‘We’ve been travelling for about an hour and a half. We got up at five in the morning but we really wanted to be here.
Wangui Wanyoike, 26, from Luton, was still making up her mind on what to sing for the audition but hoped to emulate her heroine Beyoncé
Miracle Nnamani (right), 22, of Birmingham, said: ‘I don’t really have a genre either but I think of myself as Gospel. Gospel is very popular’
The young singer is one of the many hopefuls trying to impress the judges
BGT began 17 years ago and attracted peak viewing figures of about 16 million in the 2009 series won by Scottish singer Susan Boyle
Read More
Britain's Got Talent star who performed in the final alongside David Walliams dies at the age of 51
‘I’m nervous but I’m excited to experience it because it’s a once in a life-time occasion.
‘Ever since I was young, I’ve loved Elton John and it really inspired me to sing.
‘I’ve been singing since I was three and do performing arts, gigs in pubs and things like that.
‘I also perform in dementia care homes. My Grandpa’s got dementia and he does music and whenever he hears me sing, he’s a different person – he’s my old Grampy (cor).’
BGT began 17 years ago and attracted peak viewing figures of about 16 million in the 2009 series won by Scottish singer Susan Boyle.
Last year’s contest was won by Kent gym worker Sydnie Christmas, 29, with a dazzling rendition of Over the Rainbow.
Successful contestants in today and tomorrow’s auditions will go on to the ‘Judges Auditions’, next year, where they perform in front of Simon Cowell and his panel.
Wangui Wanyoike, 26, from Luton, was still making up her mind on what to sing for the audition but hoped to emulate her heroine Beyoncé.
Alexandra Georgescu, 19, from Canterbury, was also working out which number would boost her chances of making the next round
The 19-year-old weighed up numbers by US singer-songwriter Mitsky, British soul icon Amy Winehouse and Frank Sinatra’s daughter Nancy
Raven Ankrah, ten, from Chippenham, Wilts, wanted to light up her audition with a version of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain (pictured with her mother Shalu Butler)
‘I don’t want to put myself in a box – I’m cross genre but my favourite is Beyonce,’ she added.
Miracle Nnamani, 22, of Birmingham, said: ‘I don’t really have a genre either but I think of myself as Gospel. Gospel is very popular.’
Alexandra Georgescu, 19, from Canterbury, was also working out which number would boost her chances of making the next round.
The 19-year-old weighed up numbers by US singer-songwriter Mitsky, British soul icon Amy Winehouse and Frank Sinatra’s daughter Nancy.
‘I don’t have any singing background really,’ she said. ‘I sang in choirs at school and I sing for my friends and they said I should try it because I have some talent.
‘It’s more of a hobby. I work full time in a coffee shop so I don’t really have much spare time. I feel nervous but I do feel confident.’
Raven Ankrah, ten, from Chippenham, Wilts, wanted to light up her audition with a version of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain.
She said: ‘I just love singing. It’s my passion and it’s really fun. I only sing casually, with friends. I’ve won talent shows at school but that’s about it.
Ten-year-old Sarah Dumitru has already carved out an embryonic career modelling clothes but wanted to try out her gift for singing as well
The line of hopefuls trailed 300 yards from the entrance to London’s Kia Oval cricket ground, bringing guitars, drums, harmonicas and eardrum-busting vocals
They were brimming with confidence for the first open audition of the ratings-topping TV talent show
‘I’m shy of singing in front of people and I’m very nervous. But my best friend said she thinks I’ll succeed and I do as well.’
Her mother Shalu Butler, 42, said: ‘I’m really proud of her. I think she’s really good and she’s young and it’s an experience for her.’
Read More
Britain's Got Talent line-up 'CONFIRMED' as Simon Cowell fills last judging seat
Ten-year-old Sarah Dumitru has already carved out an embryonic career modelling clothes but wanted to try out her gift for singing as well.
She said after travelling to the audition with her mother Virginia, 49, from south London: ‘I’m feeling confident.’
Later, Steve Ritchie said he made it through the first of the two auditions and thought he performed well in the second – which the producers decide on at a later date.
He sang Anthem, a baritone number from Chess, the hit musical written by Abba legends Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Tim Rice.
‘It’s all in the hands of the gods now,’ he said. ‘I’m buzzing right now. I’m surprised and pleased with myself. ‘I sang my backside off and I made them laugh and smile a bit.
One of the producers was the same guy who put me on X-Factor all those years ago.’
Britain’s Got Talent will run four double the amount of time next year, in a huge shake-up to its normal scheduling, The Sun revealed on Tuesday
The series will begin in February, rather than its normal start date of April, with episodes airing each Saturday night, according to The Sun
The ITV show’s viewers can prepare for the 2025 series to show up to four months of episodes
Little Ibni Rocks also passed both parts of the audition and is now set for a date with Cowell & Co at the next stage in January. He said: ‘I really enjoyed it, I tried to do different things for them. Everyone was really friendly.’
It comes after the news that Britain’s Got Talent will run four double the amount of time next year making it the longest series ever, in a huge shake-up to its normal scheduling.
The ITV show’s viewers can prepare for the 2025 series to show up to four months of episodes.
It will begin in February, rather than its normal start date of April, with episodes airing each Saturday night, according to The Sun.
And the live semi-finals – which usually air nightly over the course of one week – will now be shown weekly on Saturdays also.
As well as the format change, a ‘large chunk’ of the show’s auditions will be filmed in Blackpool – the seaside town best associated with rival Strictly Come Dancing.
Every season the BBC show’s competitors travel north for a special episode where they perform for a huge audience at the iconic Tower Ballroom.
But now BGT may also be planning to film from the exact same venue in ‘yet another move’ to be king of Saturday night telly.
A source told The Sun at the time: ‘Strictly’s annual jaunt to Blackpool is one of the show’s ‘special moments’ and is widely seen as a milestone for the contestants.
‘But now that trip will be replicated by its ITV rival, there’s little doubt they’re trying to encroach on their territory.
‘It’s yet another move to take on the dominance of Strictly on Saturday night telly.’