George Sampson is one of Britain's Got Talent's most iconic contestants.
The street dancer from Warrington shot to stardom when he won season 2 of the popular ITV talent show. The 15th season of Britain's Got Talent is set to debut on our screens tonight, and George's electric routines have ensured he is still fondly remembered by fans.
George first appeared on Britain's Got Talent's during its inaugural season, but Simon Cowell failed to convince Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden to allow him to progress to the live shows. This only made George more determined and he entered the following year as he progressed all the way to the final.
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The British public were wowed by his stunning routine to Singin' in the Rain - and he fought off tough competition from acts such as Signature and Andrew Johnston to be crowned victorious. George was just 14 years old at the time of the win - and this meant he got to perform at the prestigious Royal Variety Performance.
George split from Simon Cowell a year after his winning performance, but he continued to forge a successful career in showbiz. He appeared on stage on the West End for hip hop show, Into The Hoods, and he also featured in a film named Street Dance 3D, alongside fellow BGT alumni, Diversity.
George also branched out to showcase his acting talents and appeared on soaps such as Waterloo Road and Emmerdale. However, George underwent a hair transplant operation in 2017 after he started balding due to a combination of alopecia, genetics and his signature head spinning dance move.
He explained: "It's not only for my own confidence but also being in my line of work which is very image orientated and unfortunately I felt my hair (lack of) could affect my work.
He added: "I spend so much time doing my hair (well Lauren does) to try and cover up as much as I can and to make use of the hair I do have. I've decided I've had enough of that, I want my own hair, I am only 23 so balding seems like something which happens to older men so I decided I will go through with the transplant.."
George is now aged 28 and he shows off the results of his hair transplant with regular updates shared on social media. The street dancer also now boasts sleeve tattoos on both arms.
He returned to Britain's Got Talent for a special Champions edition in 2019 and revealed he had suffered an injury that almost ended his dancing career. He said: "Around a year after winning Britain’s Got Talent I sustained a really bad back injury, and doctors told me I might not ever be able to dance again.
"To be told bluntly, 'no', was devastating. I’m stubborn. There was no chance I was going to stop dancing. It’s been a long road to recovery but I’ve worked hard and I’m back. This is another two minutes of my life that can change everything so I’ve given everything and you’ll see everything."
George received a thunderous ovation after his performance as he looked back on his rollercoaster journey since winning the show. He said: "I wouldn’t change it for anything. It's been the most amazing time in my life. I owe it all to this show."
Britain's Got Talent airs at 8pm on Saturday on ITV and ITV Hub
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