After the show made a triumphant return to screens this year, Britain's Got Talent has a new champion, with Axel Blake triumphing in Sunday's final, over second place contestant Jamie Leahey and Tom Ball in third.
Near the start of the finale of the ITV, after the BGT judges had been 'replaced' on the panel, David Walliams remarked that this year's competition was wide open, with him earmarking the evening's first act Jamie & Chuck as a potential Britain's Got Talent winner, joking that all the other acts might as well 'go home.' However, as the show went on, other top contenders emerged, with all four judges moved by young dance group Five Star Boys, before being left in hysterics by 14-year-old comedian Eva Abley.
And then up stepped Tom Ball, who threatened to lift the roof off the Apollo with his stupendous take on Shirley Bassey's I Who Have Nothing. There was agonising heartache for Alesha Dixon's Golden Buzzer Act Flinz & Taylor, as rapper Flintz stumbled on his words twice during the performance, prompting Alesha to make a defiant speech in their defence.
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There were 11 acts in the running in the Britain's Got Talent final, with the winner odds having busker Maxwell Thorpe as the favourite, just ahead of Eva. Other contenders included impressionist Ben Nickless and Greatest Showman singer Loren Allred.
After they had all sang and the audience in the room and at home were treated to a star turn from the cast of Sister Act, led by Beverley Knight, it was the job of hosts Ant and Dec to deliver the big result, with winner Axel, beating runner up Jamie and third place act Tom to the £250,000 prize and place on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.
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