A former Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist owes Bolton Council more than £16,500 after abusing his position as an events coordinator at Albert Halls theatre. James Edgington defrauded the council out of thousands of pounds and stole hundreds more from a safe, while working at the council-owned venue between February 2019 and March 2021.
Edgington, who appeared alongside his dad as the singing act ‘Father and Son’ in series 4 of the ITV show, has avoided jail after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud, attempted fraud, and theft. The 39-year-old, of Thicketford Road, Tonge Moor, is the founder of Bolton Pride and he took the money in a “flawed attempt to plug a financial hole” after a sponsor pulled out of 2019’s festival, Bolton Crown Court heard.
His deception was uncovered after it was discovered that £737 was missing from a safe and Bolton Council launched an investigation on March 2 2021, prosecution barrister David Wilcock told the court. During the disciplinary process, Edgington’s employers discovered emails from producers to Edgington, discussing payment for renting out rooms at Albert Halls for shows.
