Overview
- The Hawkstone Farmers Choir were crowned winners on Saturday May 30, taking the £250,000 prize and a place at this year’s Royal Variety Performance after more than one million public votes.
- The choir was formed with support from Jeremy Clarkson as part of his Hawkstone brand and said it will donate record proceeds to mental-health charities focused on farming communities.
- Viewers and social media users reacted in two main ways, with many celebrating the first choir winner and others accusing the result of being influenced by Clarkson's profile and ITV coverage.
- Former winner Paul Potts and others raised specific fairness questions about the show's format, citing golden buzzers that fast-track acts and Celestial’s pre-recorded drone segment as creating unequal conditions for live performers.
- Producers now face pressure to address concerns about production choices and voting perception, and the choir will perform at the Royal Variety event while the show’s handling of live versus pre-recorded acts is likely to draw follow-up scrutiny.