Andrew Johnston

Andrew Johnston (born 23 September 1994) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame when he appeared as a boy soprano on the second series of the UK television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008.

Although he did not win the competition, he received a contract to record with Syco Music, a label owned by the Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell.

Johnston's debut album, One Voice, was released in September of the same year, and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart.

Although Johnston originally performed as a treble, his voice has since matured to baritone, and he is now a member of the National Youth Choir.

Johnston was born in Dumfries, Scotland, and his parents separated when he was an infant.

He and his mother moved to Carlisle, where they lived in "poverty".

He became head chorister at Carlisle Cathedral, and was bullied at school because of his love of classical music.

While some journalists have argued Britain's Got Talent producers took advantage of Johnston's background, others have hailed his story as inspirational.

Johnston was born on 23 September 1994 in Dumfries, Scotland, the son of Andrew Johnston and Morag Brannock.

He was given the extensive name Andrew Aaron Lewis Patrick Brannock John Grieve Michael Robert Oscar Schmidt Johnston.

Johnston's parents separated when he was eight months old, and from that time he lived with his mother and three older siblings in Carlisle, Cumbria, in the north of England, where he attended Trinity School.

Johnston tried out for Carlisle Cathedral Choir at the age of six at the recommendation of Kim Harris, a teacher at his primary school.

He was auditioned by the choirmaster Jeremy Suter and accepted into the choir at the age of seven.

Johnston's mother, who had no previous association with the cathedral, described her feelings of being overwhelmed by emotion at having her boy singing in such a "stunning building among those extraordinary voices".

His mother also described Johnston's busy regimen of practice four times a week and all day Sundays, saying that it took up all of their spare time.

However, she said that the cathedral staff became like a family to her son, and that "it was such a lovely, safe, close feeling for him".

Johnston, who attended Trinity School, was subject to abuse and threats from bullies which drove him to contemplate quitting the choir, but he was helped through the ordeal by his choirmaster and the dean and canons of the cathedral.

By the time of his participation in Britain's Got Talent, Johnston was head chorister.

In September 2008, after his appearance on Britain's Got Talent but before the release of his first album, Johnston embarked on a tour of Norway with the choir, performing at Stavanger Cathedral and Utstein Abbey, among other places.

The tour was conceived because the Diocese of Stavanger is connected with the Diocese of Carlisle through the Partnership for World Mission.

This was Johnston's last tour with the choir.

Johnston features as head chorister on one of the choir's albums, The Choral Music of F.W Wadely, released in November 2008.

Johnston was entered as a competitor in the second series of Britain's Got Talent by his mother.

He passed the first public audition, singing "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem.

Amanda Holden, one of the competition's judges, was brought to tears, and the audience offered Johnston a standing ovation.

Johnston was tipped as the favourite to win the competition.

Later, Johnston described his initial audition as daunting, saying that "it was scary singing in front of 2,500 people. I had never sang on stage before – then there was also Simon, Amanda and Piers".

He won his semi-final heat on 27 May 2008, receiving the most public votes on the night and thereby qualifying for the final.

He sang "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton; judge Holden told him he had "a gift from God in [his] voice".

At the final on 30 May, he again sang "Pie Jesu".

He finished in third place, behind the winner, the street dancer George Sampson and runners-up, the dance group Signature.

Johnston left the stage in tears, later saying that he "was upset. But when you see the talent that was there, it was an honour just to be in the final".

The day after the final, Cowell's publicist Max Clifford said that it was "quite possible" that Cowell would be offering record contracts to some of the finalists, including Johnston.

Johnston and other contestants then embarked on a national arena tour.

During his initial audition, Johnston claimed that he was bullied and victimised from the age of six because of his singing.

When asked how he dealt with the issue, he stated "I carry on singing."

In The Times, Johnston's success story was described as "the stuff of fairytales", as he was successful despite having been raised in "poverty".

Johnston said he did not talk about being bullied because he was told to do so by producers, but "because I believed it would help people who were going through what I had gone through be stronger".

In 2009, he graduated from Trinity School.

Johnston now studies full-time at the Royal Northern College of Music.