Meet Jamie Leahey, Young Ventriloquist from ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 2 minutes
Jamie Leahey is a 13-year-old ventriloquist who made it to the final stage of Britain’s Got Talent season 15. Less than a year later, Leahey is stepping in the international stage with AGT All-Stars. Here’s everything to know about him.
Jamie Leahey is a Self-Taught Ventriloquist
At the time of his BGT journey, Jamie had been practicing ventriloquism for two years. He began learning the act during the first lockdown, when his grandmother gave him a monkey puppet. Jamie is completely self-taught, having just YouTube videos and a mirror as his companions.
At 13, Jamie already holds years of experience in theater, performing with a local drama group at St Helens Theatre Royal. Amazingly, he’s played Michael and John in Peter Pan, Baby Face in Bugsy Malone, and the lead role in Oliver.
While it looks like he’s performed ventriloquism multiple times, Jamie’s BGT audition was in fact just his second performance ever. He and his chicken dummy Chuck have proven to be effective entertainers, driving the crowd to laughter with his act. David Walliams commented that he has an “incredible” talent while Alesha called his routine as “so slick.”
Jamie and Chuck continued capturing the UK’s heart during the competition, outdoing himself from each previous performance. His stage presence and clever routines led him to the Finale, ending up in second place behind comedian Axel Blake.
He Hopes To Have His Name Embedded in the Hollywood Walk of Fame
After BGT, Jamie has performed in Playhouse Whitley Bay and St Helens Theatre Royal. Last November, he was recognized with Arts Award at the Pride of St Helens Awards. This milestone has been surreal for the young ventriloquist as well as his whole family.
Jamie has dreamt of being onstage since he was three. In addition, he envisions his name to be embedded in a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As he joins AGT All-Stars this year, he hopes to be a step forward to that ambition.
We’re yet to see if he would shine among the 60 talented acts competing in the spin-off series. To witness his journey in AGT All-Stars, be sure to tune in to the show this January on NBC.
