A CARAVAN park bingo caller is hitting the Britain's Got Talent stage tonight months after singing at his tragic brother's funeral. Vinnie McKee, 29, was left devastated after sibling Frankie, 47, suddenly passed away in May from a suspected irregular heartbeat. But following the tragedy, the singer is convinced his brother is "watching over him" as his bid for stardom becomes a reality.
The musician, from Glasgow's tough Ruchazie scheme, said: "My brother was like a dad to me. He loved my singing and always encouraged it. It's been a really difficult year for us all, and when Britain's Got Talent came around I thought 'Oh my God' everything seems to be looking up a bit. My brother is an inspiration. When I was a kid, he taught me how to swim and took me to the cinema."
Vinnie's emotional ride didn’t end there. "His funeral was a tough day and I sang one of my favourite songs The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli," he added. Although it’s been tough, he holds on to those memories dearly. Vinnie was dealt the bombshell news of his brother's death during a shift at Thurston Manor Holiday Park in Dunbar, where he works as part of the entertainment team, hosting karaoke, bingo, and cabaret nights.
Despite the heartache, Vinnie is ready to shine. He has written his own music and performed at various music festivals, yet always felt something was missing. After encouragement from holidaymakers and residents at the park, he applied for the ITV talent hunt. Little did they know he had already auditioned at Blackpool's Winter Gardens.
Vinnie plans to surprise hundreds of guests at the park by beaming his debut performance on big screens in the clubhouse. He laughed, "I'm going to see all their reactions live. All the guests plus loads of my family are going to be there but none of them have a clue I’m going to be on the telly. I can't wait to surprise them and pop it up on all the big screens when it kicks off at 7 pm." Vinnie faced the impossible task of whittling his shortlist of 72 tunes down to one, and viewers await to see his song choice tonight.
Moving from one contestant to another, George Sampson was once Britain's Got Talent's dance sensation, sailing to victory back in 2008. Remembered for his energetic dance performances, he thrived during BGT's second season. Even after being knocked back by judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden the previous year, George made a triumphant return, winning over audiences with his performance to Singin' in the Rain.
Post-victory life treated him well, ushering TV appearances and lucrative promotional deals. He even dabbled in music before amicably splitting with Simon Cowell. George briefly stepped away from the spotlight, but he resurfaced with roles such as one on Emmerdale in 2016, and teaming up with Roxanne Pallett on Celebrity Coach Trip in 2019.
Now, George dazzles audiences on theatre stages nationwide. Recently, he took on the leading role in a traveling pantomime of Robin Hood. Clearly moved by the experience, he shared on Instagram, "This past month has been an absolute roller coaster!" He accompanied the caption with photos from the show's final performance, expressing gratitude to the audience.
Beyond his artistic development, George has opened up about personal struggles, including his trio of hair transplants costing nearly £9,000. On ITV's This Morning, he shared his emotions, saying, "I'm so happy. It's difficult. I still get hundreds of men messaging me about it."
Also adjusting his image, George now boasts full sleeve tattoos, including tributes reflecting his interests. One fan raved about his changes, commenting, "Feckin awesome pal, love the logo on the cap." His evolution from the clean-cut image to bold tattoo artistry has left his followers eagerly admiring his transformation.
Britain's Got Talent's new series begins tonight (February 22) at 7 pm on ITV1 and ITVX, ready to showcase talent blossoming through personal stories and life changes, captivating audiences with every stir of emotion.