BGT's Harrison Pettman talks Simon Cowell criticism and how his dad is now more famous than him
ok.co.ukSecurity officer and youth worker Harrison Pettman, 23, made one of the most memorable entrances during the audition stages of Britain’s Got Talent this year.
He was sitting in the audience with his family and told them he was getting up to use the toilet – then appeared on stage and stunned them and the audience with his moving version of the song With You from Ghost the musical. “I said ‘I’m going to the toilet’ because I didn’t know what else to say,” he laughs.
His parents’ shock when they saw their son on stage – and his dad Ian’s emotional reaction – became the stuff of memes as his secret was revealed. “He’s more famous than me now at this point,” Harrison says of his dad. “I’m reading the comments on X/Twitter saying ‘Harrison is okay but Ian should have got the golden buzzer!’ – I’m so proud of my parents, they are fantastic.” He does admit that his parents were shocked when they all met up after his winning audition after he had kept them in the dark for weeks. “My dad nearly went for me, but in the best possible way, he went for me as a joke and said ‘I’m going to kill you,’ and then gave me the biggest hug I’ve ever had in my life,” he says.
Harrison went through to the semi final after positive feedback from judges Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Bruno Tonioli, and some criticism from Simon (“you need a lot of practice if this is your dream”) that caused the audience to boo.The singer, however, listened to what Simon had to say and has taken it on board. “I completely agree with Simon’s reaction,” he says.
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