The stage was set. The lights beamed down, casting a golden glow on the two young contestants standing nervously at the center. Jonathan Antoine, just 17 years old, shifted uncomfortably. His hands trembled, his heart pounded, and every anxious thought imaginable raced through his mind. His duet partner, Charlotte Jaconelli, gave him a reassuring smile, a silent promise that they were in this together. But the moment was overwhelming. The audience, the judges, the sheer magnitude of Britain’s Got Talent—it was enough to send his nerves spiraling.

Then, the music began. A hush fell over the theater as the first notes of The Prayer floated through the air. Charlotte’s voice rang out first, gentle yet strong, setting the stage. And then Jonathan opened his mouth—and everything changed.

His deep, operatic voice filled the room with breathtaking power. The audience gasped. Judges exchanged stunned glances. And Simon Cowell, the toughest critic of them all, leaned forward, his eyes widening in disbelief. Jonathan’s voice soared, rich and pure, carrying the emotion of the song straight into the hearts of everyone listening.

The performance was nothing short of magical. By the time the final note faded into silence, the theater erupted in a standing ovation. Some were in tears, others simply stood frozen, still absorbing the raw brilliance they had just witnessed. And Simon Cowell, known for his brutal honesty, said something that would change Jonathan’s life forever.

“You are a young Pavarotti.”

It was the ultimate compliment. The kind of praise that could launch a career overnight. Jonathan, who had once battled self-doubt and bullying for his appearance, now stood on one of the biggest stages in the world, proving that talent, not looks, defined an artist.

More than a decade has passed since that unforgettable night, but Jonathan Antoine’s voice continues to mesmerize audiences worldwide. From opera halls to solo albums, his journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and belief. The boy who once stood trembling on that stage is now a world-renowned tenor, his voice still sending chills down our spines. And it all started with a single moment—a song, a duet, and a voice that refused to be ignored.

It was almost a case of deja vu. An overweight, badly dressed contestant lumbers awkwardly on to the Britain’s Got Talent stage, prompting the judges to roll their eyes at the inevitable car-crash of a performance to follow . . . only to be wowed by the powerful, pitch-perfect voice of the unlikely star.

But although producers might hope Jonathan Antoine becomes a global phenomenon in the mould of Susan Boyle, the painfully shy teenager was keen to distance himself from any such comparisons.

‘What I don’t want is to be roped into a category with other people,’ he told The Mail on Sunday, before his performance aired on the first show of the new series last night.

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Star Quality: Jonathan Antoine and schoolfriend Charlotte Jaconelli impress the BGT judges but there are fears over Jonathan’s state of mind after he suffered a nervous breakdown

But he added: ‘I wasn’t too worried about appearing on Britain’s Got Talent, because I wanted to show people the singing.

‘If anything I was hoping that because I don’t look like a typical person who’d be in the limelight, it would help. I’d like to show that a person is more than a body.’

It is a message the 17-year-old  A-level student from Ilford, Essex, is keen to spread, as just three months before his audition, he suffered a nervous breakdown triggered by bullying over his weight.

He said: ‘Back in October I had a nervous breakdown. At that point I left the school I was at; me and school just don’t get on.’

Low confidence: Charlotte calms her friend’s nerves before his audition. He has been bullied at school about his weight

Hitting all the right notes: Jonathan and Charlotte sing during the latest London auditions for BGT, safely making it through to the next round of the talent show

Praise: Jonathan and Charlotte receive a standing ovation from the audience and judges after a stunning performance of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli¿s hit The Prayer

The revelation could raise questions about the ITV series, which has previously drawn criticism for failing to look after vulnerable acts, such as Ms Boyle who was admitted to the Priory clinic after suffering a breakdown when she came second in the series final three years ago.

But for the moment, Jonathan says: ‘Britain’s Got Talent has been a fun experience to do and it’s been nice to be around all these people.

‘But I’ve also been seeing a psychiatrist and so I’m just on a really good road to somewhere. Britain’s Got Talent have been very helpful.’

Show sources said Jonathan passed all medical and psychological tests before appearing. While on the programme, Jonathan spoke of his difficulties with bullies, saying: ‘I’ve always had problems with my size ever since I can remember. 

Thrilled: Music mogul Simon Cowell told the teenage hopeful he was a ‘future star’ with ‘an outstandingly good voice’

Ant and Dec join in the fun and build up Jonathan as he arrives back stage after his impressive rendition of the difficult song

‘When I was in primary school, I had the mick taken out of me and it kind of damaged my confidence quite a bit and when people would say something to me it would take a little piece out of me.’

But his confidence would surely have been boosted by the standing ovation he won for his show-stopping performance of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s hit The Prayer with schoolfriend Charlotte Jaconelli.

An estimated  nine million viewers last night saw judge Alesha Dixon describe it as ‘world class’, and show guru Simon Cowell say: ‘Jonathan, you are unbelievable. I mean seriously you have an outstandingly good voice. You are a future star.’

Incredibly, Jonathan says he only discovered his singing potential four years ago, after his voice broke and he began taking singing lessons. He now attends the Royal College of Music in London one day a week.

Jonathan is keen to avoid any comparisons to Susan Boyle, left in one of her first auditions when she took the world by storm and right, wearing a black frock after she became famous

He is also full of praise for his singing partner, a 16-year-old student at the Arts Educational school in Chiswick, West London. ‘Charlotte’s been a really big help to me in terms of confidence and becoming a better performer,’ he said. ‘I really don’t think I’d be on stage today if I didn’t have Charlotte by my side.’

Discovering an unlikely new singing sensation will do nothing to harm Britain’s Got Talent’s chances in the ratings battle brewing with BBC1’s £22 million talent show, The Voice UK, which also launched last night.

In an apparent dig at Cowell’s approach, The Voice presenter  Reggie Yates said before the showdown: ‘I think that as a country of television fans we’re past that humiliation thing.’

His show’s twist is that the judges – Tom Jones, Jessie J, Danny O’Donoghue and Will.i.am – cannot see the singer perform, so make their decision based on vocal ability alone.