A contestant who wowed fans on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent has died aged just 18.
Oran McConville passed away just weeks after his father died in a third tragedy for his family, and marks another horror for the ITV show cast, following the news of a dancer’s death just last month.
The teenager, who found fame as a child when his school choir took part in 2017 series of the ITV show, suffered fatal injuries in a car crash in the early hours of Saturday morning (April 5).
His family were already rocked by the death of Oran’s dad Paddy on February 21.
(Image: PA)
In a heart-wrenching turn, Oran’s family had previously suffered the loss of his 11-year-old sister Rachael, who was killed in a road accident involving a Volkswagen people carrier around 2009.
This was before Oran’s appearance on Britain’s Got Talent with his school choir from St Patrick’s Primary School in County Down, Northern Ireland, which reached the semi-finals in 2017.
At Oran’s Requiem Mass in Drumgath, County Down, parish priest Fr Charles Byrne expressed the community’s collective grief, saying: “Oran’s tragic death early on Saturday morning has brought devastating shock and grief to his family, to his friends, to our local community here and the wider community around it.”
Referencing the family’s previous losses, Fr Byrne added: “As we all know, just six weeks ago we were here for Oran’s father Paddy and 16 years ago you had the death of young Rachael. At this time we are all lost for words. Words are woefully inadequate to express the pain and the sorrow in our hearts that we have for you.”
Fr Byrne reminisced about his time on BGT, saying: “This was a very enjoyable time for Oran and for his friends at the school. He was a natural performer and years later was able to look back on those times with fun and laughter. His love of music continued to grow. He leant to play the guitar, loved going to concerts.”
(Image: ITV)
Oran and his crew sang Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” on Britain’s Got Talent, which thrilled Simon Cowell, who said: “You are having a good time, and that is the most important thing. That was a great audition.”
The late teen was the youngest sibling in his family and was dubbed the “baby of the family… who got away with more mischief than most”. Fr Byrne couldn’t help but add: “With a smile like his, who could be cross for long.”
Drumgath GAC, the Gaelic Athletics club where he’d been a fixture since a young kid and later turned coach, gushed: “Orán was so much more than a young man – he was a bright light in our community. Kind, gentle, full of humour, and always up for a chat, Oran had that rare ability to make everyone feel at ease in his company.
“He had time for people, young and old, and brought joy to those lucky enough to have known him. Whether it was on the football pitch or in the heart of the community, Oran carried himself with warmth, respect, and quiet charm.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
