Singing comedian Jon gears up for his biggest gig ever - the BGT final!

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Mossley entertainer Jon Courtenay will be gracing our screens tomorrow night (Saturday) in the Britain's Got Talent final.

If you haven't kept up to date with this series, Jon wowed the judges in the auditions with his piano playing and original comedic song.

He didn't just wow the judges in the audition though - he was Ant and Dec's golden buzzer choice!

Jon admitted the day was magical.

He said: "I was so excited just at a very simple level of being at the palladium because it's such an iconic theatre that I used to watch all the shows with my dad and all my heroes had been on that stage so it's quite a magical feeling to be in that theatre and to be on that stage. 

"So when I walked out, I was overwhelmed just to be at the palladium, regardless of BGT or the judges - just to walk out on that stage was an incredible feeling.

"And then I did my song but I didn't know how it was going to go really and it was so well received.

"The audience were cheering and laughing all stood up at the end.

"So now I'm stood there on the Palladium stage with a standing ovation having performed an original song thinking 'it doesn't get any better than this', and as I'm thinking that, my son Nathan was on stage with me by that time and he started shouting 'dad, dad you've done it!'

"I didn't know what he was shouting about and then I saw that Ant and Dec had run on.

"My first thought was that something had gone wrong and then I realised what they were running out for and I could've cried - I think I did a bit, it was amazing!"

Jon has been entertaining audiences for years.

He grew up watching his mum and dad performing and knew from a very young age that that's what he wanted to do.

He said: "I've always thought of it as a very strange career choice.

"For most people I think being on stage in front of an audience is one of the most terrifying thoughts that somebody could have so I think if you want to do that as a job you're slight off kilter, especially doing comedy because that's a very subjective thing, trying to make people laugh.

"But I've never really wanted to do anything else.

"So I think as soon as I started getting good at it, that feeling of getting that response from an audience and knowing you've made people feel good, it's a great drug and power to have and it's a real feel good factor for me.

"I've had a one man show for over 20 years with comedy and the piano and singing and stuff but for my audition I obviously wrote a bespoke song about auditioning for Britain's Got Talent so I sort of felt like I had to stay on the route rather than just take something out of the show that I've been doing for years.

"I came up with another original song for the semi's so obviously I sort of set myself up for another original song in the final."

The Britain's Got Talent process has been a lot longer this year due to the pandemic.

The auditions were filmed at the start of the year.

Jon revealed it gave him and his family something to focus on through lockdown.

He said: "We recorded the auditions in January and they weren't broadcast until April. 

"Then obviously the results of that and the fact I got Ant and Dec's golden buzzer put me out there and gave me a lot of publicity. It's been very exciting.

"I've been busy writing and getting ready for everything.

"It's been a hugely positive experience I've got to be honest.

"It's been incredible.

"I honestly don't know what I would've done if I hadn't done BGT this year because a lot of my work pre-lockdown was working on the cruise ships and of course they all just dropped anchor and stopped sailing almost overnight.

"It's been such a period of uncertainty so I think BGT has certainly kept my name out there which is lovely, but also given me something to focus on doing rather than panicking where the job's coming from...which I'm also doing but none of us know when we can go back to work basically - it's a really uncertain time for this business. It's quite sad."

The performing experience has also changed massively for Jon as BGT is shown to a virtual audience to keep in line with coronavirus restrictions.

"We've got this mammoth virtual wall of people but there's no audio," he added.

"I can see everyone but I can't hear them.

"As a comedian trying to do comedy and judge your timing and how the joke's going - there's none of that at all so you're really just chancing it. It's very surreal to be honest."

He said that although he hasn't been focusing on the competition aspect of the show as much, it would be incredible to win.

Jon added: "Winning it I honestly think I'd faint.

"You'd see the first person on stage just legs give way face down onto the stage and then medics would come out and it would go viral and that would be that!

"This whole process hasn't really been about a competition for me.

"It's been about performing when otherwise I wouldn't have been.

"That's been a huge deal for me but also when writing songs I can't come at it from the point of view that I'm trying to win a competition because I think I'd end up writing a different song and I want to write a song that stands alone, that is heartfelt and that is written for the right reasons, not because I'm trying to win a competition.

"So basically I sat down to write all of these songs and thought what can I write about that people can relate to that will make them feel something and if I was sat there thinking what can I write to make people pick up a phone and vote for me then that's a different thing. 

"So I've not thought about it being a competition but that being said, it is and just being in the final - I've got a tour next year just on the back of making it to the final. 

"My one man show is going to go on tour in the UK probably in the autumn.

"I'm performing at the Lowry theatre for one night only - that is so insane that that's come off the back of BGT!"

He's also had incredible support from the local community.

"The local response, my local village, there's groups on Facebook for Tameside and the village and I haven't read a single comment on there that hasn't been supportive and lovely so thank to everyone," added Jon.

"It's been really overwhelming."

You can watch the Britain's Got Talent final on ITV tomorrow night at 8pm.

You can vote for Jon for free via the Britain's Got Talent app.

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