Harrison Pettman’s SURPISE BGT Audition Makes Dad Break Down In Tears

Harrison Pettman’s audition on Britain’s Got Talent 2024 was like no other in the show’s 17-season history. Seated casually amongst the audience with his parents, Michelle and Ian, as well as his brother and grandmother, Harrison was filmed on the audience camera telling his mum he was “nipping to the toilet.” But he was actually being secretly escorted behind the scenes by the TV crew, ready to take to the BGT stage with an unforgettable audition of his own.

With Harrison’s family tense, fearing that their son was about to miss the next act, the 22-year-old security guard and youth worker from Gravesend, Kent surprised his entire family when he walked out on stage to sing “With You,” taken from the spectacular musical, “Ghost.”

Harrison’s act was so shocking and awe-inspiring that his dad broke down and cried the whole way through his son’s surprise performance (his dad’s reaction is almost as heart-wrenching as Harrison’s voice!). He told the singer after the show, “So proud of you, son. You sang it perfectly, mate, perfectly. No one’s sang it better, mate.”

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As judge Bruno Tonioli commented after Harrison’s spellbinding performance, “I love your voice. There is a quality to it, especially in the lower register, which is so rich, so deep, and it’s very rare to get that quality.”

But Simon Cowell wasn’t entirely sold, dimming the atmosphere with his honest critique, “You need a lot of practice if this is your dream: to be on the West End […] I’m kind of on the fence.” The audience’s searing reaction reluctantly turned Simon’s vote into a Yes, earning Harrison four out of four yes votes and a place in the competition’s next stage.

Born in Kent, Harrison studied at the acclaimed music and performing arts schools, The Brit School and Bird College, with apparent dreams of making it big in musical theatre. Simon’s honest comments may have been spot-on in terms of Harrison’s minor faults in pitch, but this didn’t stop him from wowing the BGT crowd, with his family spellbound among them.

Harrison’s dad, Ian, hit back at Simon’s comments in the family’s interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, joking that Simon was “just lucky he was sitting further away from me,” while his mum, Michelle, shocked the sofas by agreeing with Simon, stating, “It wasn’t the best song to sing. Of all the songs [Harrison] can sing, it was one of his weakest.”

But this hammering of controversy and critique hasn’t stopped Harrison’s audition from gaining over 560K YouTube views in its handful of days online, making it one of the rawest, emotional and impactful moments of the season so far!

Experience more from the sensational Harrison Pettman, who stunned audiences with his surprising Britain’s Got Talent audition. Keep up with all of his latest performances and behind-the-scenes moments by following him on his Instagram.

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