Britains Got Talent - OB Success

Hugh Thomas, a 75-year-old arable farmer from Trefaes Ganol in Moylegrove, appeared on last night’s episode of Britain’s Got Talent as a member of Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Farmers Choir. The oldest member of the 32-strong choir, Hugh joined fellow agricultural professionals for a high-stakes audition on the 19th series of Britain’s Got Talent (BGT). Performing at the Birmingham Hippodrome, Hugh and the choir faced a unique celebrity panel. Following an injury to Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden stepped in as the senior judge, joined by guest judge Stacey Solomon, alongside Alesha Dixon and KSI.

For Hugh, the experience was a ‘dream come true’ that he never envisaged for himself. "I had to pinch myself—this was really happening to an old boy from Pembrokeshire!" he said.Adding that stepping out in front of a 1,500-member live audience was a real Wow moment.

For Hugh, joining the choir has given him a ‘new lease of life’ following a harrowing year. This time last year he was in hospital following a near-death experience. While on holiday in the Caribbean with his wife Rachel,  he was bitten by an insect and contracted a tropical illness. He ended up with sepsis and pneumonia which led to a difficult hospital stay. “It’s been a big turn around for him,” said Rachel. “The choir has given him a new lease of life after a bit of a shock.

Hugh was picked for the 34 strong choir, which was formed by Jeremy Clarkson, from 600 applicants from all over the UK. When he initially applied for it, encouraged by his daughter, they both thought he was applying for a local choir. Hugh has found that found that the rehearsals and the community of like-minded farmers has provided a vital outlet for shared ideas and mutual support. Hugh described last night’s audition as a ‘great achievement’ and a significant morale boost for the industry.

Viewers watched on with tears in their eyes when, after a rousing and emotional performance of Elbow's One Day Like This, judge Amada Holden pressed the golden buzzer sending Hugh and the choir straight to the semi finals. At home on the farm Hugh and Rachel held a BGT party last night.  "It was fab with everyone cheering," said Rachel “As soon as you started I completely welled up. I felt so much power,” said a tearful Amanda Holden. “I love the whole community. I love how you’ve all got together and you worked your arses off. You work so hard every single day. You absolutely smashed it and I can’t wait to see what you are going to do in the semi-finals.”Treasured mementos of the golden buzzer moment. (Image: Pembrokeshire Sunflower Farm)

 Whatever happens in the semi-finals, Hugh is on a mission to use the BGT platform to educate the public about British agriculture.  At Trefaes Ganol, a 160-acre family farm that also features holiday cottages and public sunflower and pumpkin picking patches, he has seen first hand how little the public understands about food production. "The choir is an alternative way of shouting out about what we do!" he said. "If the choir helps dispel just a few of these myths, it will help the perception of the importance of agriculture in everyone’s lives."