Hawkstone Choir win Britain’s Got Talent

A choir initially put together by Jeremy Clarkson and featuring Harper Adams alumni has been named the 2026 winner of Britain's Got Talent.

The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir, the first-ever choir to win in the programme’s history, was set up by the TV presenter to support farmers around his farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, with their mental health.

 After the group's win was announced, choir member Katryna Shell told presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly: "We are the first ever choir to have won [the ITV talent show]

"This is for all the farmers out there, for anybody that's struggling, it's not a taboo subject, if you're not OK, speak up, this is for the farmers."

After the choir won the public vote in the semi-final on 23 May, Ben Chick, a farmer based in Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, and former Harper Adams student said performing that day "was the most exhilarating experience".

He said waiting to find out if they had got through to the final was tense and it "really does mean the world to us".

The choir performed an original song, "This Is Home", which had a personal connection to Ben during their performance in the final.

Speaking after the win, he added on LinkedIn: "Our first two songs were ones people already knew. The easy thing in the final was to keep doing that. Give the Apollo something familiar. We didn’t.

"We went out with an original. A song nobody had heard, written for us by one of our own. It’s called “This Is Home”, and it’s about UK agriculture being exactly that. Home.

"Completely different to anything we’d done, on the biggest night we’ll ever get. You can fall flat in front of the whole country doing that.

"But you don’t get to win BGT by being safe. Sometimes you have to be brave and do the thing nobody expects.

"My sister Jess flew back from a year in New Zealand last night. First time I'd seen her in twelve months, and I was looking at her from that stage.

"So when we sang This Is Home, I was singing it to her."

Judge Simon Cowell said he had questioned their decision to perform an original song but told them "it paid off", calling it "absolutely stunning", "heartfelt" and "joyous".

The choir - which includes alumni James Florey, Gwen Woodruffe, Richard Heady, Will Rogers and Ben -  will receive a £250,000 cash prize and the opportunity to perform at the annual Royal Variety Performance.

Read the full story on the BBC website

Harper Adams Vice-Chancellor, Ken Sloan took to LinkedIn, saying: “Delighted that Hawkstone Farmers Choir won Britain’s Got Talent.

“Including some Harper Adams University #alumni, the choir have shown how important it is for farmers to make connections to break the cycle of loneliness. Especially when the industry is facing such challenges.

“I am delighted that they are supporting important farmer charities like The Farming Community Network”