Britain’s Got Talent winner Axel Blake has admitted he very nearly turned down his audition on the ITV talent show.
The beloved comedian, 35, auditioned for the reality show back in 2022 and wowed the judges with his hilarious stand-up comedy set. The star impressed head judge Simon Cowell so much, that he was awarded the Golden Buzzer which immediately guaranteed him a slot in the live finals.
And the TV star only went from strength to strength on the primetime show, soaring to stardom when he won the competition after pipping Tom Ball and Maxwell Thorpe. The doting husband received an eye-watering £250,000 and a spot on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance.
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After another stellar set, he got to shake hands with Princess Anne and danced the night away with some of the biggest names in showbiz. Two years on, the cheeky funnyman sat down with Daily Star as he reflected on his life-changing audition as a brand-new series kicks off.
(Image: Getty Images)
He exclusively told us how he changed dramatically changed his set moments before he stepped on stage in the live final which secured his win on the nationwide competition. Axel explained how he went against producers’ wishes and swapped his stand-up sets around at the last minute before he stepped on stage from the semi-final.
The comic recalled: “I had my finals set and my semi-finals set and at the last minute I swapped it around. So I did my final as my semi, and I did my semi-finals set as my finals, but I don’t think anyone knows that.
“I was asked not to do that [by ITV bosses] but I decided to do that and I’m glad I went with my gut.” Clearly, the star made the right call as he soared through to the live finals and eventually won the show.
(Image: Dymond/Thames/REX/Shutterstock)
He reflected on what it was like in the nerve-wracking semi-finals where he was treated to his own dressing room. The comic recalled: “You got dressing rooms after becoming the Golden Buzzer and moving into the semis and the finals.”
Axel went on to recall what his rider request was for ITV bosses to help make him feel more comfortable on set. The comedian added: “I just mainly needed, well I asked for a lot of fruit juice, not fizzy I just wanted fruit juice which I guess is random.
“But after a while, they all knew that Axel would want more fruit juice and I was going through that fruit juice like nobody’s business.” But it’s fair to say his request was tame compared to one act – who he decided not to name – who ordered a KFC meal deal before each performance.
(Image: Getty Images for Sporting Equals)
He chuckled: “I wasn’t too bad but I did hear someone ordering a particular thing in KFC. It was a certain meal, maybe a wrap?
“I’m not sure who it was but it was one of the other contestants who ordered a wrap and a selection box.” Since he won the competition, Axel has toured the country with his incredible stand-up routine.
Fans will have to stay tuned to see which contestant will steal his crown this year.
Britain’s Got Talent airs on Saturdays from 7.30pm on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
