‘BGT’s Oldest Winner EVER Colin Thackery Got A Record Deal!
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This year’s BGT winner Colin Thackery is 89 years old. He’s the oldest winner in the show’s history, and is also reportedly the oldest person in the world to sign a recording contract. (He signed with Decca for his first album.)
Earlier this week, Colin joined the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Read on to learn more about Colin, including the funny reason he chose to audition for Britain’s Got Talent in the first place.
Who Is ‘BGT’ Winner Colin Thackery?
Colin Thackery is a Korean War veteran who competed on Season 13 of Britain’s Got Talent earlier this year. He lives in the Royal Hospital Chelsea, which houses veterans. He moved there after the death of his wife Joan in 2016. They were married for 66 years.
For his audition, Colin performed “The Wind Beneath My Wings” as a tribute to his late wife. His later performances featured appearances by other Chealsea Pensioners like him. Colin recently returned for BGT: The Champions, where he performed Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers” as another tribute to his wife.
Why Did Colin Audition For ‘BGT’?
In a new interview ahead of his Royal Albert Hall performance, Colin spoke to Classic FM about his BGT win, and explained why he auditioned in the first place.
“I never thought for one minute I would win,” he said. “I only went in for a dare… Somebody dared me to do it, and I thought well, why would they want an old man like me? Singing on a programme like that?”
Colin will be back at the Royal Albert Hall next month to perform in the Royal Variety Performance. “I like to be on the roundabout,” he said of his busy life. “And it’s going round at the moment – it’s getting a bit faster, and one day it’s going to stop and I’ll fall off.”
He added that he’s “having a great time.” Colin’s first album, Love Changes Everything, will be released December 6, 2019.
