It was an emotional rollercoaster on Britain’s Got Talent last night, as two standout semi-finalists revealed they had been facing serious health battles just weeks before hitting the stage.
Dancer Jerry Pop and singer CJ Emmons opened the final semi-final show with show-stopping performances. But what the audience didn’t know until later was just how much they’d endured to get there.
In his pre-performance video, Jerry Pop shared the devastating news that he had recently broken his ankle playing basketball, which left him unable to rehearse properly. “The worst thing happened,” he admitted. His recovery was so tight that he only had his boot removed just two to three weeks ago.
CJ Emmons, meanwhile, left the audience in tears after performing James Brown’s It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World. With emotion in his voice and tears in his eyes, he revealed that he had undergone life-threatening surgery just two weeks earlier.
“I was in the hospital fighting for my life,” CJ told Ant and Dec. “But I fought through that, and I’m fighting for this.”
He later revealed that the emergency was linked to gallbladder surgery, which caused painful complications affecting his ability to sing. “They had to cut through my abdominal wall,” he told The Mirror, adding that it still hurt when he performed – but he was pushing through the pain.
Despite the hardships, both men delivered incredible performances. CJ even sparked calls from the audience for guest judge KSI to hit the Golden Buzzer. While KSI held back, Amanda Holden reassured CJ that the public would rally behind him.
This semi-final also marked the final use of the Golden Buzzer this season – a new twist allowing one act per show to skip straight to the final. Now, with the spotlight on them, all eyes are on Jerry and CJ as they hope their courage and talent carry them all the way.
