Opera Singer Earns Coveted Golden Buzzer After Simon Stops Him Mid-Song.

gruffydd opera

There’s something about a perfectly performed opera song that never fails to move audiences to tears.

When Gruffydd Wyn Roberts, a 22-year-old rugby player from northern Wales, first stepped onto the “Britain’s Got Talent” stage, no one knew quite what to expect. As he faced the crowd of 4,000 eager audience members, he was visibly nervous and shaking.


YouTube

Gruffydd comes from a tiny island village, where he lives with his grandmother, Alwena. He had a difficult childhood and didn’t get to know his own father until he was 16, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dream of selling out auditoriums with his incredible voice.


YouTube

As he begins his first song, an aria called “Un Giorno Per Noi,” you can instantly see that judge Simon Cowell isn’t feeling it. Less than a minute into his performance, Simon starts waving at the production crew, indicating he wants to stop Gruffydd mid-song.


YouTube

Gruffydd’s brother Osian and their friends are rooting for him in the audience, and when Simon stops the singer they look devastated.


YouTube

“This was very cold and mechanical,” Simon tells Gruffydd. “I sense there’s more in there. I want to hear that warmth, that richness. I want you to just let go for a second.”


YouTube

When asked what he’d rate his own performance at on a scale of 1-10, Gruffydd admits that he was somewhere around a six. “I want an eight… or higher,” Simon tells him.

Gruffydd seems to hear him loud and clear, because when he starts his next song, “Nessun Dorma,” he gives it all he’s got. The depth of his voice is simply astounding as he passionately belts out the notes. The song itself is a classic opera tune that most people will recognize, and there’s something so moving about it, you can’t help but tear up.


YouTube

In the audience, Osian and their mates are moved to tears as they continue to cheer Gruffydd on.

As the singer belts out the final soaring notes, the entire audience jumps to their feet, clapping and cheering uproariously. Even the judges can’t help but give the shy young man from Wales a standing ovation.


YouTube

Incredibly, judge Amanda Holden whirls around and smacks the coveted golden buzzer with both hands. “I didn’t even know I was going to do that,” she exclaimed afterward.

Gruffydd on Britain's Got Talent
YouTube

Gruffydd is over the moon with excitement. In spite of the difficulties he’d endured in his family life and earlier in his audition, his dreams are finally coming true!

“We asked for an eight, we just hit a seven and then we got to the final par and guess what, you gave us a 10,” Simon later said.


YouTube

Now that Gruffydd has earned the golden buzzer, he will skip the next stage of the competition and head straight to the semi-finals. Way to go, Gruffydd!

Watch his beautiful and moving performance below, and be sure to share.

Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.