Soap stars who auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent – and why they were never seen

Stars from Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and EastEnders have all tried their luck auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent at some point in their careers.

Over the years, a surprising number of soap stars have tried their hand at Britain’s Got Talent – including some truly unexpected names.

However, many of them never made it onto our screens for various reasons. One Coronation Street actor was reportedly “most likely disqualified” after the audience recognized him.

Auditions are open to everyone, including professionals, despite viewers often accusing the show of being “rigged” when experienced performers compete against amateurs.

A TV insider told Yahoo: “At the end of the day, it’s the public who chooses the winner, regardless of an act’s background. There’s no unfair advantage since the final decision is made by public vote.

“It’s an even playing field, as all contestants go through the same process. The show has always been transparent that auditions are open to everyone, no matter their experience, and each act gets the same chance.”

Coronation Street villain Ian Bartholomew auditioned for the 15th series of BGT after his character, Geoff Metcalfe, met his end on the ITV soap.

Geoff, an abusive husband, tormented his wife Yasmeen, and Ian used his BGT platform to further raise awareness of domestic violence following the conclusion of the storyline. He performed an original song he had written during the first Covid-19 lockdown, titled This Time It’s Forever.

The judges were deeply moved by his performance. Introducing himself on stage, Ian said: “I’m from Cheshire. I was in Coronation Street, where I played the awful Geoff Metcalfe. He was a truly nasty character. I joined in 2018 and exited last year when he fell off a roof. I’m 67 years old.

“The song I’m performing is one I wrote myself, which was used in a Women’s Aid campaign to spread awareness about domestic abuse. I’m not here for myself—I’m here for the charity and survivors.”

Amanda Holden suggested that his performance could have had even more impact if survivors stood beside him, singing along. He received four yeses from the judges.

Amanda told him: “I saw a woman in the audience who was completely overwhelmed—you are a true advocate for them. I think your message would be even stronger if you had some women standing with you, forming a choir if they feel brave enough.

“It’s a unique situation—someone we all know from Corrie performing a song about these victims. I think adding survivors behind you would make it even more powerful. The song is truly beautiful.”

Despite his moving performance, his audition was never aired on TV.

Thomas Atkinson, best known for his role as the villain Lachlan White on Emmerdale, actually began his career in music.

In 2014, he performed on stage during the final of Britain’s Got Talent—not as a contestant, but as a backing singer for the finalists, Bars and Melody. He revealed: “I was a backing singer on Britain’s Got Talent once when I was younger. Yeah, I was in the final. It was a strange experience.

“It was a difficult time in my life. We had to do a little sway.”

Cait Fitton, who portrays Lauren Bolton on Coronation Street,

Another familiar face from the cobbles has a Britain’s Got Talent history. Cait Fitton, who plays Lauren Bolton on Coronation Street, actually made it to the final of the ITV talent show.

Before her soap debut, Cait was part of the popular sign language choir Sign Along With Us, which competed in 2020. The choir performed a rendition of “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman, but ultimately lost to comedy pianist and singer Jon Courtenay.

Fans were shocked when they learned Cait was in the group, with one fan sharing: “I’ve watched their audition hundreds of times and never realized Cait was in the group. She’s incredibly talented!”

Jay Kontzle, known for his role on Emmerdale,

Before joining Emmerdale as Billy Fletcher, Jay Kontzle wasn’t always set on acting. He was previously a member of a boyband called The Mend.

Jay auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 with the band, who had also tried out for X Factor and made it to bootcamp, but they were eventually eliminated due to an existing management deal. The Mend finished in seventh place on BGT.

Now, Jay has “moved on” from music. He shared with Inside Soap: “Yes, I was part of a band, and it was a great experience. I don’t really talk about it much anymore because I’ve moved on. The best thing about being in a band was the insight I gained into the industry. We worked with top professionals like Simon Cowell. But in the end, the business side of music turned me off.”

The Mend, founded by Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith, released their debut single “Where Were You” in 2013 and even supported Little Mix on their DNA tour. However, by 2016, they had parted ways.

Molly Rainford

At the age of 11, EastEnders actress Molly Rainford took part in the sixth season of Britain’s Got Talent, where she wowed the judges with her performance of Jennifer Hudson’s “One Night Only” from Dreamgirls.

She made it to the final but ended up finishing as a runner-up, with Ashleigh and Pudsey taking home the win that year.

Molly, who has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, made her debut on EastEnders in 2023 as Anna Knight, the daughter of Cindy Beale.

Jack Carroll

Comedian Jack Carroll, who rose to fame as a Britain’s Got Talent runner-up at the age of 14, found a new audience when he joined Coronation Street in 2023 as Bobby Crawford.

Bobby, the son of murderer Rob Donovan and nephew of Carla Connor, played a significant role in the plot surrounding Rob’s return as Carla fought for a kidney transplant.

He finished behind the shadow theatre group Attraction in the BGT final, who secured 27% of the public vote.