Britain’s Got Talent contestant Nick Edwards said his unexpected audition for the ITV talent show gave him the confidence to return to performing after 11 years. Doting dad Nick had a shock as his adorable daughters Savannah and Cali, aged three and four, were brought on stage by his mother Tracey in a bid to convince him to sing in public again in the first episode of the new series on Saturday night.
And it worked as the 36-year-old, who was completely in the dark about the set up, has been given his confidence back after performing in front of judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams. Nick told the PA news agency he believed he was going for a day out with his wife without the children after his sister-in-law surprised the couple with free tickets to Britain’s Got Talent.
When he saw his mother and daughters come on stage he thought they were going to audition and was "petrified" when they revealed they were there to surprise him. He told the judges he had “lost a lot of confidence” in himself over the years and tends to only sing in the shower.
READ MORE:
After being given a moment to compose himself he returned to sing and play the guitar to the song Daddy’s Little Girl by Ernie Halter which he sang to his daughters. And host Declan Donnelly, who has a three-year-old daughter Isla with his wife Ali, was in bits as he watched.
After wiping away tears Dec jokingly turning to the camera and insisted: "I'm fine!" Judges Amanda and Alesha were also in tears and music boss Simon Cowell told him: "It was so sweet, you have a lovely voice," before David Walliams confirmed he had "4004 yeses."
Nick, from Yorkshire, said the whole experience had been an "emotional overload" but "amazing", saying the experience with his daughters is a memory they will "have forever". He added: "I feel this opportunity on Britain's Got Talent has definitely given me the confidence that I'd lost and that's why it was also so emotional, because I previously lacked the acceptance that I needed to move forward."
He added: "So whatever happens, I've got my confidence back." Nick had been performing since he was six in church choirs, and by 15 he started writing songs and performing in bands with friends and as a solo artist at local venues and pubs.
However after he became a father to his son Jack at the age of 25 he "lost touch with music" as his priorities had to change. He told PA: "Twenty years ago I would have done anything to be in music. It's all I wanted to do growing up, it was literally the only thing that mattered. And then when I became a parent your life changes and your focus changes. My kids are so important to me."
Nick says Britain's Got Talent had been a big part of his life growing up as an aspiring musician and he had often wondered what Simon would say if he ever auditioned for him. He's now looking forward to showing more of what he can do in future stages of the talent show and has a "few albums worth of material" at hand.
It was a dream of mine as a kid and it's still a dream now and this has reignited that want to do it," he said. Britain's Got Talent continues tonight (Sunday April 17) at 7.35pm on ITV.
