Britain’s Got Talent contestant Matty received a Golden Buzzer from judge Simon Cowell after performing a rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” earning a standing ovation from the judges and audience.
Cowell walked onstage to embrace Matty after hitting the Golden Buzzer, telling him, “That’s one of my favorite songs,” and addressing the audience: “To everyone in this audience, this is your Golden Buzzer as well. Genuine.” The Golden Buzzer allows an act to advance directly to the live shows, bypassing further elimination rounds.
Matty, 27, works as a waiter in Glasgow and previously auditioned for Idol Philippines. During the BGT audition, he impressed judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and KSI before singing a single note.
He told ABS-CBN during his Idol Philippines audition that he is a fan of One Direction and has embraced his identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, despite societal and familial pressures growing up. Cowell later shared on Instagram that he “could have given him 2 Golden Buzzers” and encouraged viewers to watch the audition.