Britain's Got Talent viewers spark 'fix' row after singer reels off prior stage school training: 'Utter rubbish'

Britain's Got Talent viewers spark 'fix' row after singer reels off prior stage school training: 'Utter rubbish'

Harrison Pettman surprises parents on Britain's Got Talent with performance

Lauren Williams

By Lauren Williams


Published: 30/04/2024

- 10:06

Updated: 30/04/2024

- 11:04

The 22-year-old singer took to the stage on Saturday night and left the judges stunned with his performance

Britain's Got Talent viewers have claimed that the show is a "fix" and "set up" after recent auditionee Harrison Pettman revealed the prior training he had received.

Pettman was the final act of the night and performed a rendition of With You from the musical Ghost, surprising his family in the audience after he told them he had been rejected from the show.


The 22-year-old security guard spoke openly to the judges about his struggle to break into the showbiz world and the setbacks he has received in the past.

After his successful performance - where he received three yeses from the judges - Pettman recalled the strong backing he had received from his parents and said: "My parents have supported me so much throughout training etc.

"I mean we are talking about Brit School and I have trained at Bird Academy, I went to a Centre Stage Theatre Academy, so I have done a lot.

"They have been behind me the whole entire time," he told Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid.

Harrison Pettman

Harrison Pettman listed off the prior training he had received ahead of his BGT audition

ITV

Pettman has never starred in any theatre shows on the West End or had a professional theatre acting jobs, with his Centre Stage school posting a proud message confirming he had been a student for 10 years.

Whilst some were impressed with his long list of qualifications, many claimed that he had an advantage over other budding West End actors and singers and took to their X account to claim the show was fixed.

One X user slammed: "So BGT is set up as we all knew then."

"Really? Are we meant to believe about this Harrison audition on #BGT," another added before a third penned: "All staged you ain’t fooling me and to be fair I’ve seen better."

Harrison Pettman

Harrison Pettman caused a 'fix' row amongst viewers of the show

ITV

A fourth expressed "Like they didn't know. Utter rubbish. Club singer.

Praising his vocals and the performance, one user expressed: "Calling it now, Harrison is going to win the series."

"The best act of the season so far by a country mile! Superb," another quipped before a third applauded: "Harrison literally just gave me goosebumps." (sic)

After his performance on Saturday night, Amanda Holden said that Pettman acted the song "beautifully", whilst co-judge Bruno Tonioli praised the tone of his voice.

Harrison Pettman

Harrison Pettman left the judges stunned

ITV

"I love your voice there is a quality to it, especially in the lower register which is so rich and so deep and it's very rare to get that quality."

Backstage his mum Michelle told how she was four-and-a-half years in remission from a rare form of cancer and opened up on her joy of seeing him on-stage.

After she opened up on her son's ADHD and dyslexia diagnoses, she added: "He has fought every step of the way to get to where he is today. There are lots of other songs he can sing - this one was one of the weakest."

You may like