Jailed over £3m fraud, scammed out of kids’ savings and spiralling debt – Britains Got Talent stars’ money struggles
IT’S the TV talent show that offers the incredible opportunity of fame and fortune – and some Britain’s Got Talent contestants have gone on to become big name stars.
However, it doesn’t work out that way for everyone who gets on the hit ITV show – even those who win it.
Singer songwriter Jai McDowall has recently revealed he was on the brink of bankruptcy after winning the fifth series of BGT back in 2011.
The 37-year-old Scotsman beat the favourite, 12-year-old singer Ronan Parke, to the £100,000 prize.
He was signed to Syco Music, a subdivision of giant Sony, but admitted he “made some bad choices” and “spent loads of money”.
Jai, from Ayrshire, also revealed he found fame “so hard to deal with” and was dropped by his record label a year later.
Speaking to The Sun, Jai, now with the band G4 who shot to fame on The X Factor, he said: “I’ve done OK. Twelve years on I’m still working. But there was definitely a period where it took a dramatic drop.
“Finances, work, all of that stuff took a very big dive to a point where I did actually think about bankruptcy.
“I didn’t do it because, thankfully, I’ve got a brilliant support network. But I did get to a point where I was like, ‘Is this it, is this over?’”
Here, we reveal the long list of contestants from the show who have suffered financial woes – from the star who lost £90k fortune to a scam, to bankrupted star who ‘hid £3m’ in elaborate homes con.
Liam Collins
Dancer Liam Collins made it to the semi-finals of the ITV show as one half of the comedy dance duo Faces of Disco, in 2009.
A decade later, Collins was jailed for 21 months for his part in a multi-million pound Ponzi-style scam, including an 82-year-old man who lost £50,000.
The former BGT star lost millions following the collapse of the student accommodation firm he ran with his cousin David Bone, now 42. The pair then set up a near-identical company that tricked investors by falsely claiming to have signed a £20million business deal.
They promised the cash would be used to invest in more buy-to-let properties – but used it to underwrite debts on the other company.
It came after the budding businessman bizarrely claimed in 2008 to have launched a bid to purchase Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch for £15million.
They were accused of swindling nine investors out of up to £50,000 each, which included 49-year-old Collins’ own family members. Both men, who had already been declared bankrupt in 2012, admitted fraudulent trading at Newcastle Crown Court in 2019.
At the time of the investigation, Collins insisted: “We are not conmen and there was never any intention of misleading anyone. I’m incredibly sympathetic to the investors – a lot of them are my own family members – but it’s a two-way relationship; you can be an irresponsible businessman but you can also be an irresponsible investor.
“Some people think I’m walking around like a millionaire, with money stashed in an offshore account and these people would like me dead. But I’ve lost everything, £3million, 29 houses, my cars, my friends, everything.”
Francine Lewis
Impressionist Francine Lewis reached the finals of series seven in 2013, after impressing judges with her impression of Stacey Solomon during her audition. She went on to carve out a successful career, touring and performing at corporate events.
But in 2022, she revealed she had been scammed out of £90,000 – including her kids’ savings – by a phoney stocks company.
The mum-of-two and her husband Joel, who live in Hertfordshire, got “suckered in” by the scammers after investing into what they thought was a reputable stock broker company.
Speaking to The Sun, Francine, now 45, said: “I had a little gut feeling. I spoke to the guys myself, they were so convincing, so even I got suckered in.
“Stupidly, I handed all this money over, went to my bank, drew it out.
“What was even worse, I handed them all my kids’ money that I had been saving from when they were born.
“That for me was the worst part of it. In the end, it ended up being a scam. That little bit of a gut, which I prayed wasn’t going to be right, was right in the end.”
She said it has put her off ordering anything online unless the company is well known.
Francine added: “It makes you really dubious. It was a devastating time.”
James Edgington
Britain’s Got Talent singer James Edington reduced judge Amanda Holden to tears with his performance on the show back in 2010.
The singer and actor, who appeared on the talent show alongside his dad Graham, was later given a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, after stealing nearly £20,000 of theatre cash to fund his charity.
The former BGT semi finalist, 41, defrauded Bolton Council of the cash while working as a theatre and events programmer at the town’s Albert Halls venue.
James took the money in a bid to plug a financial gap in his Bolton Pride charity – which he co-founded in 2015 – after a sponsor pulled out.
He also sold 71 complimentary tickets – that were supposed to be free – for £35 for a one-man show by Lord of The Rings star Sir Ian McKellen.
James’ dishonesty was discovered after he also stole £737 in cash from the safe at Albert Halls.
In 2022, he pleaded guilty to theft and two counts of fraud with one count of attempted fraud.
Jon Courtenay
Singing comedian Jon Courtenay found himself struggling with debts after the Covid-19 pandemic left him out work – before going on to win the £250,000 BGT prize in 2020.
Jon, now 51, who worked on cruise ships before finding fame on the show, had to rely on his overdraft to get his family through lockdown.
Speaking after his win, he said: “I haven’t worked since March. The cruises all dropped their anchors and my entire year’s diary is cancelled.
“We have no savings. I have been working continuously but haven’t been earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
“My wife has been a stay-at-home mum. This money has really got us out of a tough situation.”
Movies To Musicals
The children’s choir Movies To Musicals pulled out all the stops in their bid for fame on Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 – even getting themselves into debt.
Movies to Musicals boss Ross Gunning, who set the charity up in 2015, said at the time: “It cost us £7,000 to take 23 kids to London, as we had to pay for accommodation, all the food, costumes and part of the bus costs.
“The kids and parents made all the costumes, which were amazing. We put our hands in our own pockets to help cover the costs. It was important to us to give those kids that experience but there is no funding support from anywhere.”
He said taking part in the hit ITV show had been “phenomenal” but added: “That experience has put our charity in debt.”
The Mend
Manchester boyband The Mend wowed judges with their version of Otis Redding’s Sitting on the Dock of the Bay during their audition in 2012, with them getting through to the finals, missing out to dancing dog Pudsey.
Asked what they would do if they won the £500,000 prize, the four-piece – Jayme Kontzle, Craig Worsley, Dean Kelly, Kris Evans – said during the competition: “The first thing we’ll do with the money is pay off our debts. We’re on hardly any income right now. We’ve borrowed and borrowed.
“You end up borrowing to borrow and borrowing to pay off what you borrowed. And the next thing you know, you owe half the world some money. It would be great to pay everyone off.”
The Mend were booted out of The X Factor at the bootcamp stage the year before, after breaching the rules because they already had a manager.
The band, formed by ex-Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith, carried on as a three-piece after the departure of Dean, with them changing their name to Race the Horizon before finally going their separate ways in 2016.
BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT RICH LIST
IT’S not all doom and gloom - many former BGT stars have gone on to amass huge fortunes, with some even reaching millionaire status.
Paul Potts
The former mobile phone salesman became the first ever winner of BGT back in 2007 after wowing the nation with his stunning operatic voice. The 53-year-old is now worth around £8million after releasing six albums, a memoir and appearing on a number of TV shows. A biopic of his life, One Chance, starring James Corden as the singer, came out in 2013.
Susan Boyle
The Scottish singer may have come second on the show in 2009 but she’s one of BGT’s biggest success stories. Susan, 63, has an estimated worth of £33million thanks to her singing career. Her debut album I Dreamed a Dream topped the charts in November 2009 and sold 3.1million copies. She has released eight albums in total and despite her fortune, prefers to live simply while on tour.
Diversity
The dance troupe beat Susan Boyle to be crowned winners in 2009. They went on to sell out numerous tours and even supported Little Mix on their 2013 Salute Tour.
The group was fronted and choreographed by Ashley Banjo, 35, now a judge on Dancing on Ice. He has amassed his own fortune, and is estimated to be more than £1.1million. His brother Jordan,31, has also carved out a successful TV career and is said to be worth £1million, while fellow band member Perri Kiely, 28, is reportedly worth £140,000.
George Sampson
George won series two in 2008 after impressing with his street dancing. Just 14 at the time, he went on to make stage debut in the West End musical Into the Hoods later that year before releasing his first single Get Up on the Dance Floor/Headz Up. He’s also starred in a string of TV shows, including Waterloo Road. He is reportedly worth around £8million.
Ashleigh and Pudsey
Winning BGT in 2012 was just the beginning for teenager Ashleigh Butler and her dog Pudsey. The dance duo signed a six-figure book deal shortly after their stint on the show, and Pudsey even starred in his own feature film, as well as the TV adaptation of David Walliams’ book Mr Stink. They are thought to have built up a £10million fortune.
Sadly, the pooch died in 2017 but Ashleigh, now 29, has continued to perform with her other dog, Sully.