Britain’s Got Talent singer Linda Mudzenda gets golden buzzer from Alesha Dixon
Saturday’s show also saw Harshith Aiyannira Ganesh leave the crowd in hysterics with his incoherent impressions of vehicle noises.
Singer Linda Mudzenda has received the golden buzzer from Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, sending her straight through to the show’s live semi-finals.
The 21-year-old from Zimbabwe, who lives in Bedford, sang Lauren Daigle’s You Say, after appearing nervous as she stepped up to the mic on Saturday’s show, with judge Amanda Holden telling her “take your time, take a breath”.
After the support worker had finished her performance, Holden described it as “extraordinary”, with fellow judge KSI saying it had made him “emotional”, adding: “It was so touching man, like just seeing how beautifully you sang.”
Dixon said: “I think it’s the first time today that I’ve sat through an audition and my heart was just like racing out of my chest.
“And like about 15 minutes ago, KSI said to me, ‘What is it going to take for you to press your golden buzzer?”
The former Mis-Teeq star then pressed her buzzer, prompting the contestant to burst into tears, and added: “It was so beautiful, it was so emotional, I don’t know what you’ve been through in your life, but something’s pouring out of your soul, and I loved it, and I can’t wait to see you in the live show.
“So congratulations, go celebrate.”
Presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly then asked her if it was a dream come true, to which Mudzenda replied: “Yes, that’s why I’m so emotional.”
The show began with The Barjots Dunkers, a basketball team who performed trick shots, who impressed the judges, receiving a yes from all four, with judge Bruno Tonioli describing it as “something I have never seen before”.
Judge Simon Cowell described magician Eden Choi as “a benchmark” for the competition, after he performed a number of magic tricks which saw him produce playing cards out of his breath and shirt cuffs, finishing by moving the images on one of the cards, before being sent through by the judges.
Scissor swallower Bao Cuong also received a yes from all four judges after an act which saw him lift a microwave while a large pair of scissors was in his mouth.
He also opened the scissors while they were inside him, with Dixon remarking: “It was extraordinary, it was absolutely bonkers, but congratulations, because this must have taken years of practice, I’m speechless.”
After his performance, Cuong said he had previously made a mistake while performing which led to him having to have an operation.
Not all the acts impressed the judges however, with Harshith Aiyannira Ganesh, from Leicester, leaving the crowd in hysterics with his incoherent impressions of vehicle noises, and the Northern Bell Orchestra prompting Cowell to say “I think there’s a reason why not many do this”.
Magician Kayden Black’s performance, which saw him appear as a child before entering a box and coming out as an adult, was described as “like going back years in time” by Cowell as he received four nos.
Other acts to be sent through included one-armed drummer Cornel Hrisca-Munn, child dance troupe Lil Ms and singer Andy Hindson, who performed a comedy song about his children.
Britain’s Got Talent will return to ITV on Saturday, April 5 at 7pm.
