Britain's Got Talent star Vinnie McKee 'burst into tears' after audition over tragic family loss

semi-finalist Vinnie McKee says he felt his late brother on stage with him during his viral audition. The 29-year-old is hoping to wow the judges once again during Saturday’s live show after his performance of The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) won him a from Simon Cowell.

The Glasgow-based caravan park entertainer suffered heartbreak last year after his brother Frankie died from a suspected irregular heartbeat at just 47. “He would have been so excited for me,” he says. “As soon as I was on that stage, I just felt something with me. When I came off stage and met my family for the first time, my mum burst into tears and so did I.

“I said, ‘He was definitely watching me,’ and she said, ‘He definitely was.’ He would have loved it.”

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Vinnie was encouraged to audition for BGT by his brother before his death and after performing at his funeral, decided to take the plunge. “Me and my family were going through the hardest time in our lives,” he says. “He always used to say to me, ‘You should go for BGT but I never did it.

“I took everything I felt and through that son, it was quite healing for me and a nice lift for my family.”

Since his audition, Vinnie is constantly being stopped for photos. “I was in buying dog food and people were taking pictures of me at the counter,” he laughs. “I came out of the World Buffet in Edinburgh, I’d just paid for my food and this woman went, ‘Are you Vinnie from Britain’s Got Talent? Can I get a picture?’ Everyone’s been so lovely and supportive.”

Despite his newfound fame, Vinnie is still working at the caravan park. “I’m still working every day of the week. It’s absolutely jam-packed,” he says.

As for Saturday’s performance, Vinnie has kept his song a secret even from his own family. “I’ve not even let my mum hear the song. I’ve kept it to myself because it’s so different for me,” he says. “I’ve taken it and put my own twist on it.”

If Vinnie’s brother Frankie were still alive, he would be cheering him on in the live studio audience. “He would have been making t-shirts and giving them to all his friends. He would have been the person right at the front,” he smiles.

Britain’s Got Talent returns on Saturday with its first live semi-final, as eight acts hope to impress judges Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and KSI once again as well as the general public.

Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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