Back in the heyday of talent show TV, new celebs were popping up out of nowhere. Some former contestants are so popular nowadays that you barely remember where they originated from – I’m looking at you Harry Styles and Little Mix.
But they weren’t all so lucky. Whether it be from Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, The Voice, or any other Saturday night show, there were plenty of faces you rooted for week after week, then completely erased from your memory once the show was over. Here’s a reminder of those guys, and what they’re up to now.
Ray Quinn
After the X-Factor, Ray Quinn was all over our screens, but now he’s nowhere to be seen. Why, you ask? Because he became a Hermes delivery driver during the pandemic, and is now pursuing a career as a carpet-layer alongside his brothers. Quite the turn of events.
Paul Potts
Paul Potts won the first ever series of BGT, all the way back in 2007. He didn’t exactly get the wildly successful opera career he’d probably dreamed of, but he has done some pretty random things, such as winning a South-Korean TV show, and competing in America’s Got Talent: The Champions.
Kevin Simm
The Voice doesn’t have the best of luck when it comes to contestants gaining fame and success afterwards. Kevin Simm was a member of group Liberty X back in the day, but still didn’t become a household name from being on the show. Luckily, his career is still going well, as he replaced the lead singer in the famous band Wet Wet Wet.
George Sampson
BGT’s series 2 winner, George Sampson was street-dancing before it was even cool. You may not have recognised him, but since winning in 2008, Sampson has popped up in Waterloo Road and Emmerdale, and now stars in West-End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Susan Boyle
You don’t hear much from SuBo nowadays, do you? You’ll be glad to know she’s still booked and busy though, having released 8 albums, competed in America’s Got Talent: The Champions, and performed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony. Good for her!
Ashleigh and Pudsey
Sadly, the star of this BGT double act died in 2017, but Ashleigh is still performing her dog trick act with her other pet Sulley instead.
Eoghan Quigg
Since coming 3rd on The X-Factor aged 16, Quigg has played in the Irish Intermediate Football league, and now has his own radio show called #QuiggOnQ at Q Radio. We might tune in one day.
Becky Hill
What’s Becky Hill got to do with any of this? She was on the first season of The Voice (although you probably don’t remember), and continues to be the only contestant to ever get a number one single. Her pop career is truly thriving, even if she was eliminated in the semi-finals.
Christopher Maloney
Christopher was on Big Brother in 2016, and even has an autobiography that he released in 2018. He’s not let the fame go to his head though, and still updates social media regularly with his day-to-day life.
Stavros Flatley
An iconic duo, who dare we say it, would probably never get famous now. As fun as it was, we can see why this double act didn’t shoot to stardom, staying quite low-key after their stint on BGT. They did appear on Sugar Free Farm in 2017 though, if you’re interested in seeing mini Stavros all grown up.
