BRITAIN’S Got Talent has had plenty of awe-inspiring acts over the years, but Jeremy Clarkson’s sensational singing squad was something else.
The full-throated flock of farmers took to the stage and sang their hearts out, and earning an automatic spot in the semi-finals after she awarded them her .
The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir reduced one of the judges to tears on BGTCredit: ITV
Their performance was so moving that they secured Amanda Holden’s Golden BuzzerCredit: ITV
Jeremy Clarkson, seen here singing carols and drinking beer with them, brought the choir together in 2024Credit: Supplied
Who are the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir?
is a 32-strong collective of real British farmers and agricultural workers who were brought together by in 2024.
The star put the group together after a advert sought strong singers who work in agriculture for a project with his Hawkstone alcoholic drinks brand.
While the journey began with recording jingles at in Burford, the mission quickly evolved into something far more profound.
They aim to raise awareness and funds for mental health charities within the agricultural community.
The group has since become a fully-fledged choir under the musical directorship of Simon Gwilliam and Lizzy Dean.
Who is in the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir?
While the names of every member haven’t been reported, they are aged between 27 and 75, and come from all over the UK – from Pembrokeshire to Northumberland.
The singers include Richard Heady, 39, an arable farmer from who manages a 1,030-hectare mixed family farm.
He described being on BGT as a “proper once in a lifetime, goosebumps moment”.
The oldest member of the group is Hugh Thomas, 75, who farms 160 acres in Moylegrove, .
He only ended up auditioning after his daughter filled out the application form on his behalf – he thought he was joining a local choir.
And arable farmer Ben Brooke admits he was basically just a “car singer” before joining.
Farmer and singer Katryna Shell, from , said the choir is “like nothing I’ve ever experienced before”.
farmer Ellie Maguire said after the Golden Buzzer: “I couldn’t contain the tears – it felt like we were really being seen.”
Abbie Condon, 42, is a tractor operations manager who lives just minutes from The Farmer’s Dog pub.
James Florey is a fourth-generation farmer who manages 500 acres beside the River Thames in Northmoor.
Gwen Woodruffe, from Horndean in , previously sang in several Hawkstone adverts before auditioning for the choir.
Among the other members are Christopher Slatter, of Mickleton Wood Farm in Mickleton, and Aled Morris, the Mayor of Llangollen, Denbighshire, North Wales.
The choir also featured in an advert for Jeremy’s Diddly Squat Farm’s Hawkstone lager, which was promptly pulled from broadcast for being “not compliant”.
The farmers sang a rendition of the Flower Duet from the opera Lakme, but instead of the traditional French lyrics, the choir belted out: “F*** me, it’s good.”
What happened on Britain’s Got Talent?
The took to the stage on Saturday, March 21, with one member telling the audience: “Jeremy Clarkson did a thing, and that thing is the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir.
“Jeremy brought us together to sing, and it’s really been amazing for us all.”
Jeremy said he ‘welled up’ during their performanceCredit: Instagram
She went on to say to the panel of judges: “Every single one of us is in agriculture in some way or another. This isn’t our day jobs; we’re usually out in the fields!
“We work by ourselves day in and day out, sometimes 16, 17 hours a day. This has brought us together.
“We’re not singers by nature. It’s brought us as a family – we have one thing that unites us and that is .
“We love what we do but it can be incredibly hard: really lonely, very isolating.”
They then performed Elbow’s One Day Like This, which brought Amanda Holden and some of the audience to tears.
Explaining why she pressed the buzzer, Holden said: “I felt so much power. I love the whole community, I love how you’ve all got together.
“You work so hard every single day, you absolutely smashed it, and I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do in the semi-finals.”
What did Jeremy Clarkson say?
Jeremy was watching at home and was every bit as moved as the judges.
Taking to : “Hello everybody, I watched Britain’s Got Talent last night for the first time because the Hawkstone Choir were on. And they were just fantastic.
“These guys are all farmers, and they work incredibly hard for really incredibly small rewards.
“To see them all on that stage with all that love in the room made my heart sing – I actually welled up.
“And thank you for pressing that Golden Buzzer thing, I don’t know what that means but it obviously is important”.
Holding back tears, he paused before continuing: “Yeah, yeah it shows that I think people quite like farmers.
“And they were very, very good.
“Well done all of you, I am a very happy man tonight.
“That choir is fab, yeah, sorry, that’s it,” before tailing off as he became emotional.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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