A former West End star has fought back from losing his big brother to give his singing career one last go on Britain’s Got Talent tonight.
Brian Gilligan suffered depression and lost all his confidence after Dave died of a heart attack last year, aged just 55.
“Dave had always been the anchor of our family,” he said. The enormity of his loss felt too heavy on me and I felt I could no longer sing.
“But my Mam always said, ‘Life is like a boxing match. It’s going to thump you left, right and centre. At times you’ll feel like you want to throw in the towel – but get back up again’.
“Mam’s words made me give it a final go.”
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Brian’s mum Maurenn, 77, ran a theatre school in Dublin and taught Brian McFadden of Westlife. She now has dementia but is always asking her family how her son is doing on BGT.
Brian also had a son. Leo, with wife Laura nine months ago, and decided, in a “whirlwind” of emotion, to apply for BGT. Viewers will see him in action tonight.
He won a part in The Commitments on the West End stage in 2015, then got promoted to the lead role of Deco after a director heard him singing in a stairwell.
Now, to honour Dave and his mum, he’s ready to take another tilt at stardom.
He said: “My brother, mum and son were all at the front of my mind when I stood on stage.”
- Britain’s Got Talent is on ITV tonight at 8pm.
