Britain’s Got Talent finalist Siobhan Phillips reveals she was coached by producers for seven months

Siobhan Phillips has described the process of Britain’s Got Talent auditions as ‘cutthroat.’

The comedy vocalist made it to the the final of the ITV show back in 2019 and has shed light on what goes on behind-the-scenes.  

Not only was Siobhan coached for seven months by producers, she revealed how receiving four coveted yeses from the judges does not guarantee an automatic place in the competition. 

In July 2018, producers contacted Siobhan after they stumbled across a YouTube video of her comedy song. 

They asked her if she had any others up her sleeve and prompted her to write a song about being a mother and everyday life.

After that, she was coached for seven months before appearing in front of judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams, and Alesha Dixon.

Confessing she would have preferred not to be as ‘pigeon-holed’ as she was, the talent show contestant told The Sun: ‘You’ve got to be prepared to work with them, and they coach you and go back and forth with you for six or seven months before the first audition.’

When it came to the big audition in February 2019, Siobhan was approached by a counsellor who thought she was having a ‘breakdown.’

Recalling how she was in there for 14 hours before debuting her talents, Siobhan explained you ‘aren’t eating’ because you’re constantly being moved from one room to the next, and she was merely offered ‘a tiny bag of Haribo Starmix.’

Siobhan’s performance may have gone down a treat with the judging panel, but those who secured four yeses were met by producers with a piece of paper once offstage. 

‘I saw people rejoicing at four yeses, then handed this paper and I never saw them again or on the telly,’ Siobhan said.

For months, the talent show hopefuls are left pondering on whether they’re going to progress in the competition, with Siobhan recalling the judges’ deliberation day as ‘more brutal’ than the audition itself.

She disclosed: ‘It’s so cutthroat and you feel like you’re built up to be nervous. But once you’re past that day, you know you’re in the live shows.’

There are six weeks between ‘deliberation day’ and the live shows, but producers are constantly rejiggling lyrics, set-ups and running orders until the last minute, according to Siobhan. 

Despite the gruelling elements of the process, the singer-songwriter was highly praiseworthy of the judges, particularly Amanda whose ‘door was always open.’

Elsewhere, Siobhan spoke of the moment ventriloquist Jimmy Tamley called Simon up onstage as part of his act and was told ‘no’ live during the show’s proceedings.

Siobhan claimed that Jimmy had been given the go ahead to bring Simon onstage, but soon became ‘annoyed’ with the producers after Simon clearly did not want to be there.

She praised him for his handling of the excruciating moment but admitted it did ‘affect’ him.’