Bruno Tonioli breaks down in tears as he watches an incredible performance from a blind operatic duo on Saturday’s episode of Britain’s Got Talent.
According to The Sun, the judge, 68, struggled to contain his emotions as he watched blind soprano Denise Leigh and pianist Stefan Andrusyschyn, both from Stoke-on-Trent.
The duo, who left audience and the panel astonished with their marvellous act, explained how they met on a train 18 years ago when Stefan asked Denise what time was it, not realising she was blind too.
Denise, 52, who has a tiny amount of vision in her left eye, admitted: ‘I just thought ‘Stop hitting on me’!
Then, when they got off the train, Denise noticed he also had a cane and thought: ‘Oh my God he is blind too.’
The judge, 68, struggled to contain his emotions as he watched blind soprano Denise Leigh and pianist Stefan Andrusyschyn, both from Stoke-on-Trent
But that was just the beginning of a magical story, and fate once again brought them together when they were casually booked in the same music gig.
‘I thought I won’t tell him I’m the woman on the train because I was a bit rude to him,’ Denise admitted.
The soprano shared another emotional piece of her life story, revealing she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 but got the all-clear before their audition, although the treatment changed her voice.
‘I’m having to rebuild it,’ she told.
The couple performed Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music, earned them a standing ovation with Bruno standing up as he wiped away his tears.
‘I’m inspired by you, I’ve learnt something today about your positive state of mind. You are an example,’ the judge said emotionally.
The couple’s son Demetri, 11, was in the audience with their guide dog Tilly, alongside two of Denise’s children from a previous relationship, Michael, 28, and Sam, 26.
The singer revealed she was ‘absolutely shaking by the time we’d finished’ and she didn’t notice Bruno burst out in tears until he started complimenting them.
‘I’m inspired by you, I’ve learnt something today about your positive state of mind. You are an example,’ the judge said emotionally,’ judge Bruno said emotionally
The couple performed Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music, earned them a standing ovation with Bruno standing up as he wiped away his tears
‘I’m really pleased I made a grown man cry!,’ Denise told joyfully.
As a new instalment of the talent series kicked off again, head judge Simon Cowell said he has already ‘worked out who will win’ this series.
The entrepreneur, 64, teased there is ‘one person everyone gravitated towards’ but judges managed to keep it tight-lipped.
‘This year, when we were discussing the finals, we went round the room and said who we think might win and there was one person everyone gravitated towards,’ he reveals,’ he told The Mirror.
But as the judge wisely remarked ‘You can just never predict who the public will love,’ – he didn’t shy away from admitting his excitement and curiosity to see who the crowd will pick as their winner.
Radio host and judge Amanda, 53, admitted the singer in question ‘blew them all away’ when he performed.
‘His voice was, I think, one of the most beautiful, classic and enriching voices that we’ve ever heard. I mean, we’ve had Paul Potts and we’ve had other people come on and sing opera but this guy had it all, to be honest.
‘I was like, ‘Wow, there’s a potential winner right there’, she said candidly.
Although the judges admitted already eyeing a possible winner for a series that is promised to be ‘an absolute party’, Amanda added she would also love to see a group of performer win the £250,000 cash prize.
The Heart FM star claimed it would be amazing to see a group of people able to split the money and change their lives forever.
The presenter spilled the beans on a particularly talented choirs she picked during a round of auditions in Manchester, teasing that if they were to pick ‘the right song and the right arrangement’, they might have a ‘really good chance’.
Music icon Alesha, 45, also agreed: ‘It would be great to see so many people win and for all the members of the choir to share the money.
‘It’s such a moment to perform at The Royal Variety Show and it would be lovely to see all of those people getting to share that memory together.’
