Every Britain’s Got Talent winner ranked, from worst to best

Bzzzzzz! Yes, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams will have their fingers on red buzzers again as Britain’s Got Talent returns for its 12th series on Saturday April 14 (ITV, 8pm). 

The variety contest has previously been won by opera singers, streetdancers, magicians and prancing dogs, who scoop a cash prize and a chance to perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. 

But while some translate their victory into long-term success, others disappear back into obscurity. We’ve rated and ranked the 11 previous champions, from worst to best…

11. Jai McDowall (series 5, 2011)

Me neither. Ayrshire singer-songwriter McDowall is the most forgettable BGT winner. Signed to Simon Cowell's Syco label, the big-lunged but bland crooner was dropped after fulfilling his one-album contract and limping to number 54 in the charts. His cause wasn’t helped by the popularity of cherubic 12-year-old singer Ronan Parke, who finished runner-up. 

McDowall later accused Cowell of being “anti-Scottish". Cowell responded by reminding McDowall that his own mother is Scottish. "I was disappointed with Ja," Cowell later said. "With respect to him, he wasn't one of our best ones.” When Amanda Holden was asked about McDowall, she mockingly replied: “Who?" Miaow.

10. Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse (series 9, 2015)

Talk about ruff justice. The second dog act to wag its way to a BGT win – trainer O’Dwyer and border collie Matisse, who’d already won the heelwork-to-music title at Crufts – saw their victory marred by controversy after viewers complained they’d been “duped” by their sausage-stealing performance in the live final.

The inclusion of a second dog, Chase, who looked similar to Matisse, during a tightrope trick wasn't made clear to the audience. Ofcom got over 1,000 complaints and ruled that the show had misled viewers, but the act wasn't stripped of its title or prize money. Bad dog. In your basket. 

9. Spelbound (series 4, 2010)

Young gymnastics troupe Spelbound can boast the London 2012 Olympics on their CV of post-BGT appearances, wowing millions with their daredevil somersaults, jaw-dropping balancing feats and rippling abs at the closing ceremony.

They released a DVD, were professional partners on BBC One’s celebrity contest Tumble and several members won acrobatic gymnastics golds at the World Championships. They’ve since gone quiet. We blame line-up changes, age and that annoying spelling of their name.

8. Tokio Myers (series 11, 2017)

Dreadlocked pianist Myers – real name Torville Jones, a graduate of the Royal College Of Music and successful session musician – won last year’s contest with his euphoric, electrified mash-ups of classical, dance and R&B. 

He co-produced and played on last year’s Grenfell Tower charity single, duetted with Rita Ora on The X Factor and his debut album reached number four in the charts. The 33-year-old Londoner's career hasn’t achieved full lift-off yet but it could be imminent. 

7. Attraction (series 7, 2013)

It wouldn’t happen post-Brexit. Hailing from Hungary, eight-strong shadow theatre group Attraction are the only foreign act to win Britain’s Got Talent, with Simon Cowell saying at the time: "We will always welcome talent, wherever it is in the world.”

Their emotionally-charged audition has 42m YouTube views, with damp-eyed viewers asking “How did they do that?” and even the hard-hearted judges getting choked up by its moving story. They’ve since fronted a TV ad for Swinton Insurance, played lucrative gigs in China and had a Las Vegas residency but that’s about the size of it. 

6. Richard Jones (series 10, 2016)

Patriotism plus magic equals a winning formula. The show's only conjuring champion was Lance Corporal Richard Jones, who clinched victory two years ago with a heartwarming turn in the live final, which told an army veteran's life story through card tricks. 

He soon landed his own ITV vehicle, Operation Magic, which saw him wow his forces colleagues with mind-boggling tricks, and embarked on a solo tour. Jones continues to combine his illusionist career with duties as a member of the Household Cavalry. If he didn’t have such a forgettable name, he might be even bigger. 

5. Collabro (series 8, 2014)

When this quintet of nice boys strolled onstage and announced they’d only been together for a month, the nation thought “Not another boyband” while Simon Cowell did a massive eye-roll. However, they turned out to have a nice line in light opera and musical theatre classics. Cowell signed them to Syco Records and their debut album went straight in at number one, knocking Ed Sheeran’s X off the top spot. 

Two more hit albums and sellout tours have followed, with their fans known as “Collaborators”. Band member Richard Hadfield quit the group two years ago but the rest have continued as a four-piece and will support Barry Manilow at his arena croonathons later this year.

4. George Sampson (series 2, 2008)

Schoolboy streetdancer Sampson didn’t make it through to the live shows in 2007 – which Simon Cowell later admitted this was a mistake – but spent a year honing his routines on the streets of Manchester and returned the following series. He duly won with his water-sodden, lamppost-swinging routine to Mint Royale’s remix of Singin' In The Rain’, which promptly went to number one on downloads alone.

Sampson became the only non-music act to be signed by Cowell’s Syco, popping up in dance DVDs and West End shows. He has also moved into acting, with roles in TV series Mount Pleasant, Emmerdale and Waterloo Road. He's had a hair transplant to cover a bald patch caused by spinning on his head.

3. Ashleigh & Pudsey (series 6, 2012)

With the winner’s prize boosted from £100k to half a million quid for one year only, it was to Simon Cowell’s sheer delight that it was claimed by a dancing dog act: pedigree chums Ashleigh Butler and adorable Border Collie/Bichon Frise/Chinese Crested Powderpuff cross Pudsey.

They became the second Britain’s Got Talent champion (after Paul Potts) to have a film made about them, with BGT's own David Walliams voicing the pooch in 2014’s Pudsey: The Movie. There were book deals, TV vehicles, pantos and Crufts performances. Sadly, Pudsey died from blood cancer last year. Butler said that her other trained trick dog, Sully, would take over future engagements but “could never become Pudsey”. Sob.

2. Diversity (series 3, 2009)

The 10-strong Essex streetdance troupe surprisingly beat bookies' favourite Susan Boyle to win the third series and have impressively stayed in the limelight since. Their ingeniously choreographed mash-up routines have seen them embark on sellout tours, release DVDs and perform at big events. 

Almost a decade since their win, they’re still gong strong and several members – notably frontman Ashley Banjo and big-haired back-flipper Perri Kiely – have become TV stars in their own right. As judge Amanda Holden said: "Just when I think I've seen it all, you came on." 

1. Paul Potts (series 1, 2007)

The show enjoyed its first "Su-Bo moment” when shy Carphone Warehouse salesman Potts shuffled on-stage and launched into a goosebump-inducing rendition of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma. The audition has clocked up almost 172m YouTube views, making it one of the most-watched clips of all time, and saw Potts invited onto The Oprah Winfrey Show. 

Since winning the debut series, he’s released six hit albums, embarked on world tours and starred in full-length operas. His story was even immortalised on film in 2013 biopic One Chance, with no less than Taylor Swift writing the Golden Globe-nominated theme song, Sweeter Than Fiction. Not bad for a wonky-toothed 47-year-old whose name sounds like a Cambodian tyrant.