Golden moment for granddad

A MAN from Bix was part of a choir that has qualified for the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent.

Alfie Hay, 78, is the grandfather of eight-year-old Ravi Adelekan, who was diagnosed with a brain stem tumour two years ago.

Ravi, who lives in Brighton with his parents Olugbenga and Bethan, Mr Hay’s daughter, was approached by the show after his efforts to raise money for the Brains Trust and the Brain Tumour Charity.

The boy and his granddad were part of the choir which was made up of about 50 friends, family, teachers and medical professionals.

They reduced the judges to tears as they sang A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman at an audition at the London Palladium, which was shown on ITV1 on Saturday night.

They were given the “golden buzzer” by judge Alesha Dixon, meaning they went through to the next stage of the competition.

Mr Hay, a composer who co-founded the Henley Youth Festival, said: “We were intent on getting it right and doing it properly but didn’t believe it would be good enough to get the buzzer.

“Funnily enough, a lot of us didn’t really understand the implication because we don’t really watch the show.”

The performance, which was seen by a TV audience of 5.8 million, began with Ravi singing the first verse as the theatre audience cheered encouragingly.

His sister, Maya, five, then sang a gentle solo before the full choir joined in the chorus.

The singers swayed and flayed their arms to exaggerate the impact of the lyrics, with some closing their eyes to take in the atmosphere.

On the words “gonna take” in the chorus, they reached out and grabbed from their right before pulling their arm back into their chest.

The siblings sang a solo together as the rest of the singers harmonised and the crowd cheered and clapped.

Before the finale, the male and female singers sang lyrics alternately and the audience clapped along.

The choir finished triumphantly, throwing their fists into the air together as the judges stood applauding and audience members bellowed in celebration, with some crying.

As the slow-motion camera panned back to the judges, Dixon was seen hitting the golden buzzer.

Ravi and Maya jumped up and down with joy and hugged each other as golden confetti fell from the roof. Their parents picked up the children, kissing and embracing them as others made confetti angels on the stage.

Dixon had tears rolling down her face as she returned to her seat.

Addressing Ravi, head judge Simon Cowell said: “I think you are a very talented, very brave and very special person. I’m so happy that you’ve had this moment because you deserve it.

“All of you, by the way, that’s what I call magic and that’s why we have the golden buzzer, for people like you. You so deserve it.”

Dixon gasped for air as she said: “The golden buzzer is such a personal thing and I always say I can only press it when it feels right. You’re such a remarkable young man. The moment you started talking, you just had me and I just loved it, so well done to all of you.”

Ravi said: “When I finally realised what had happened, I couldn’t believe that we had gotten it.

“I felt really nervous before getting on the stage but when I was on there, I felt better because I had practised hard and knew what I was meant to sing.

“Having [my] community on the stage made it far less scary, plus it was more fun.”

He said that if the choir won the final he would give the £250,000 prize money to the two charities.

Ravi said: “If we win the money maybe I will reach my crazy target of £250,000, which will feel amazing given all the hard work we have put in.

“I think it would make a huge difference to the two charities and to the lives of people with brain tumours [as] medical research will help find better treatments and fewer people will die.

“I hope that I have helped raise awareness and made a positive impact [and] I hope we can keep the amazing journey going.”

Mr Hay called his grandson “remarkable” and said that he wasn’t seeking fame but simply wanted to support other people experiencing similar difficulties.

“He’s not aiming for stardom, so he’s remarkable in that respect,” he said.

“For Ravi, we would do anything. We’re not a choir but a group of people who are his support system.”

Ms Adelekan, 42, said: “We just thought it would be an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience to sing together and perform at the Palladium and raise awareness about Ravi and his desire.

“Fundraising is so hard right now — every charity will say the same because nobody has any money. We really appreciate every penny anyone can donate but to have this opportunity to reach our initial target is actually amazing. It feels like a positive experience even though it has been incredibly traumatic.

“We are so grateful for all the care we have got. It is the best brain tumour to have and we know we are very lucky and we are reminded every day of that and we’re grateful we’re getting a platform.”

Ms Adelekan said they had shortlisted 75 songs to choose from to sing in the semi-final.

She said: “We have looked through them to see if they have the right message and we can cater them to Ravi’s voice. The message is really important to us to illustrate what he has been through.”

Mr Hay, a former headteacher of Trinity Primary School in Henley, said: “If we won the £250,000, that would complete Ravi’s dream.”

He encouraged people to vote for the choir in the final, if they make it, because of the impact the money would have.

“All this research is vital and it really does some good,” he said.

Ravi’s tumour was diagnosed in 2021 after his parents noticed his face was starting to tilt and his hearing had worsened. He underwent a nine-hour operation to remove it. He made a quick recovery but still has medical complications.

For more information or to make a donation, visit
www.ravisdream.com