Britain’s Got Talent is returning to our televisions in just a couple of hours.
The iconic ITV talent show returns this month for its 16th season, offering a life-changing ultimate prize for one of Britain’s most talented individuals, including the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.
BGT debuted in 2007 and has presented us to a wide range of performers, including dance ensemble Diversity and singing star Susan Boyle.
Dancers, singers, comedians, and magicians will all take the stage in the hopes of impressing the judges, and we’ll be able to watch it all from the audition stages to the grand final.
Cillian O’Connor is one such performer, and fans will witness him audition for a spot on the show when BGT returns.
But who is he, and when will you be able to watch him perform? Here’s what we know thus far.
Who is Cillian O’Connor?
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Cillian O’Connor, a 13-year-old magician, has been tugging at the heartstrings of both the BGT judges and the general audience in the run-up to his performance.
The boy impresses the judges at the audition stager by speaking frankly about his autism, according to Express.
‘If I can make them believe in magic and perform at the Royal Variety Show I will genuinely cry – honestly,’ he said ahead of his performance.
He also discussed how magic had impacted his life.
‘Before magic, my social skills were very bad,’ he began.
‘I would just be in the corner and I didn’t want to be within 50 feet of anyone.’
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The publication reports that he spoke to the audience about his journey with autism, saying it is ‘not a disability, but an ability.’
He continued: ‘When I was younger I was unable to interact with people, I felt incomplete, I felt invisible.
‘After discovering magic, it felt like my life changed, it felt like a lightbulb coming on inside my head and I found a way to interact with people through my magic.’
The judges were brought to tears by the brilliant magician’s performance, which garnered a standing ovation.
Those interested in seeing his different acts before the concert can do so on his Instagram page, where he often shares videos of his magic.
Cillian was motivated to start doing magic after watching Issy Simpson’s talent competition performance in 2017.
‘After seeing Issy on TV he kept asking us when can I meet her, we tried to explain that Issy lived in a different country and that she would be very busy, but we would check to see if she was performing somewhere and bring him to see her. Because of his autism once he gets something in his head he doesn’t let it go,’ his father Richie O’Connor told the Meath Chronicle.
‘My wife Elaine sent a chance message on Facebook to her page and with disbelief Issy’s grandfather made contact and we arranged for Cillian and his sister Casey to meet Issy in person.’
According to Connor, the meeting was “the best day of [his] life,” and it led to him meeting Dynamo and DMC.
When will he be on Britain’s Got Talent?
A series of photos on the youngster’s Instagram account show him doing his magic trick in front of the judges, previewing his debut on the show.
His parents, who manage his account, captioned the post: ‘DREAMS DO COME TRUE. “If you believe it you will find it”.
‘Thank you @bgt & also all the people who have helped me along the way, I had a dream and boy what a dream it was.
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‘So excited for you all to see my @bgt audition tonight On @virginmediatelevision & @itv tonight at 8:00pm I hope you all enjoy it, It was the #bestdayever.’
How can I watch Britain’s Got Talent
The show returns with a double bill this weekend, kicking off tonight on ITV at 8pm.
The following episode will air at the slightly earlier time of 7.45pm tomorrow.
Those that can’t tune in live will be able to catch up on the action on ITVX.
Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV at 8pm tonight.
Source My Celebrity Life.