Heartbreaking story behind the 8-year-old with a brain tumour who left Britain’s Got Talent judges in tears
Topics: Britains Got Talent, ITV, Health
Ben Thompson
Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: Britains Got Talent, ITV, Health
If there's one thing you can count on TV talent shows for, it's those tear-jerker moments.
And the new series of Britain's Got Talent is no exception.
Returning to our screens on April 20, the ITV hit show pulled all the punches to keep viewers entertained.
Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli all returned to the judging panel.
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As is the way with the show's format, the judges were subjected to the best, the worst and the most bizarre of the British public's talents.
But one contestant in particular left them in floods of tears.
Eight-year-old Ravi was singing with his choir and announced that if he were to win, he would donate the winning £250,000 to charity.
Fortunately for him, he's one step closer to the final, as Dixon buzzed him through to the semi-finals with the Golden Buzzer.
So, what was it about this audition that brought on the waterworks for the panel?
Taking to the stage, Ravi introduced himself: "I've watched BGT all my life and always wanted to audition for it.
"Two years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumour and I'm here to show no matter what life throws you can still achieve your dreams."
Alongside his choir, which ranged in age from five to 78, Ravi took on A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman.
The choir was made up of Ravi's family members, friends, teachers and other children living with brain tumours.
Cue shots of people in the audience dabbing their eyes with tissues.
Once she put through Ravi to the semi-finals with the coveted Golden Buzzer, Dixon explained her reasoning.
The 45-year-old singer said: "The golden buzzer is such a personal thing and I always say I can only press it when it feels right and you're such a remarkable young man."
Viewers watching at home were also reaching for the tissues and feeling a little misty eyed.
They took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their reactions.
One tweeted: "Britains got talent has got me crying, that golden buzzer was well deserved."
And another said: Britains Got Talent…… sobbing... I'm in floods of tears. Close to home as my daughter had a stage 4 brain tumour so we've had the 18 months from hell."
Speaking to The Sun about his audition, the 8-year-old said: "I didn’t see Alesha pressing her golden buzzer because we were bowing!
"There was all this confetti, but it took all of our brains a long time to draw the connection to the buzzer.
"I’ve met famous people before, but in the moment it felt different to that — like they believed in what we were trying to do.
"If we won it would help us reach our fundraising goal, but also winning would just bring so much more awareness of brain tumours."