YOUNG OPERA SINGER WHO WOW’D AUDIENCES ON BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT HEADS TO THE WEST

The opera singer who stunned the audience and judges on Britain’s Got Talent ten years ago – is heading west in August as the headline act at the FullTone Music Festival.

Jonathan Antoine was catapulted into the limelight when he took part in a duet on the talent show when he was just 17 years old. At the time he’d dropped out of sixth form, he couldn’t see where his future might lead him and, in his own words ‘it was a combination of throwing caution to the wind and getting lucky’.

A decade on he has a successful solo career, has travelled the world singing and has turned his passion for his craft into his profession. He says the biggest lesson he’s learned in that decade is that he loves people.

“For a long time I thought that was not the case, I really believed that. Now I know that’s not true. I love people and I’m proud to say I have my own fans & tribe.”

We spoke to him from his studio at his home in Essex, a few days after his first rehearsal with the FullTone Orchestra which was founded and is run by musician, singer and conductor Anthony Brown, who lives in Devizes, Wiltshire. 

Why did you choose to audition on Britain’s Got Talent?

I’d dropped out of school just a few weeks into sixth form – it was not good. I was not happy. I didn’t fit in. I was at rock bottom. I got a Blackberry message asking if I wanted to do it and I thought ‘why not?’. I literally had nothing to lose. 

What happened after the series? 

Wow that’s a big question – so much it’s almost impossible to single out anything. I remember being in a theatre in Paris and I found myself being given a master class by the great Rolando Villazon. He offered me a small piece of advice around my technique which I’ve carried with me ever since. I just took a moment on that day to think ‘how did this happen?’

In 2019, I filmed a special documentary where I had full control of the production and that was an amazing experience. (PBS Going The Distance with Jonathan Antoine singing a medley of Disney classics and Broadway numbers). 

There have been so many other highlights and I’m thrilled to say I’m still loving singing and having fun. It’s not a job to me, I never want it to be a job. 

Why was school a struggle for you? 

I’ve always sought knowledge and that has never changed. I never quite ‘got’ school itself as I’m not a structured person, I’m a chaotic learner. I have always loved music, and at primary school, I took part in productions including The King & I and it wasn’t until high school that I started to have lessons. 

Also I didn’t fit any stereotype of the ‘male’ who liked sports or who was an ‘alpha’ male, I’ve always been drawn to the arts, the area of the study which has often been seen as stereotypically ‘feminine’ and I think that played a part.

I’ve struggled with my weight since the age of four and that can sap your confidence and lead to bullying. Finally now I’m starting to change that through my own choice. I’m walking my 10,000 steps a day and I’ve only missed three days since January. I’m now thinking about what I put into my body. For many people this won’t seem like a big deal yet for me it’s a big thing. I’m trying to take control of my own life by considering what I eat and by taking regular exercise. 

What was your experience of the lockdowns? 

It was rough though I find it hard to complain because I was not on the frontline and so many others were affected so badly, they suffered far more than I did. I’m an entertainer and there wasn’t an live entertainment industry for a long time. Now we’re in this strange pseudo equilibrium which can feel scary. Overall though I think we did show through communities around the UK that it’s a good thing to ‘love your neighbour’. 

Who, alive or dead, would you love to perform with? 

That person has to be the late Luciano Pavarotti. I would have leapt at that chance had it come up however I’m sure I would have ended up just listening to him singing. He just did it right. He had a clear intensity and power which I can now see, drawing that up through his body and yet, if you look at his face, it all just flows, looking and sounding effortless. A true master.

Is it right you are a fan of heavy metal?

Yes it is. I know it sounds odd yet it’s not. I do love music where bands take a single aspect of music and then they take it up a notch. I’m love Archspire who have just released a new album and I have to admit, I do like music which is avant garde and I realise some people will think it’s music which is akin to flushing the toilet!

What advice would you give your 17-year-old self now?

So much, so much. I’d say this: 

“I know you aren’t going to listen to me but I’d just say don’t mess it up man. You are doing all right. Just look for that tiny spark and stick it out. Getting to the next moment, the next day is a victory and it does get easier.”

How are rehearsals for this August Bank Holiday event going? 

Fantastic. It was wonderful to be with such a talented orchestra and to be part of that experience and I’m excited about it. Also travelling through the Wiltshire landscape which is so diverse with so much ancient history. It’s so tranquil and when I saw the stones at Avebury it was just so cool. To be honest, over the last decade, I’ve found the British countryside in all of its colours and moods is baffling and astonishing. 

Tickets to see Jonathan in Wiltshire and other singers are available here - https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/fulltone/festival-1-day-tickets-sat-or-sun/e-gkkveo