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Britain's Got Talent 2014: Jack Pack and Paddy and Nico through to next weekend's live final

A spot on the Royal Variety Performance is one of the prizes for the winner

Tim Moynihan
Thursday 05 June 2014 09:10 BST
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Paddy and Nico danced to 'She Bangs' by Ricky Martin in the last Britain's Got Talent semi-final
Paddy and Nico danced to 'She Bangs' by Ricky Martin in the last Britain's Got Talent semi-final (Rex)

Britain's Got Talent hopeful Paddy and her partner Nico secured a place in the final of the competition after the 79-year-old salsa dancer battled back from injury to impress the judges and public.

Sarah "Paddy" Jones and her Spanish partner Nicolas Espinosa had been forced to withdraw from the live semi-final after she injured her ribs during rehearsals.

But she was able to take to the stage after all, as the pair danced to Ricky Martin hit "She Bangs".

Swing group Jack Pack won the public vote in the last semi-final but judges picking the second act of the night to go through chose Paddy and Nico by three votes to one over 15-year-old singer-songwriter Bailey McConnell.

Jack Pack and Paddy and Nico join the winners of the four earlier semi finals in next Saturday's final - there are also plans for a wild card entry.

Through to the final from earlier semi finals are musical theatre boyband Collabro and illusionist Darcy Oake; teenage singer James Smith and 26-strong street dance crew The Addict Initiative; opera singer Lucy Kay and camp dancing trio Yanis Marshall, Arnaud and Mehdi; and classical violinist Lettice Rowbotham and teenage rap sensation Bars and Melody - 13-year-old Leondre Devries and his friend Charlie Leneham, 15.

Last night show supremo Simon Cowell told Paddy and Nico: "I salute your courage, everything about it, you did this for your country. I think the British people are going to vote you through to the final."

Fellow judge David Walliams told them: "You do bang, you do move amazingly, and what I got from that was your incredible bravery, to come back from injury and do that."

A spot on the Royal Variety Performance is one of the prizes for the winner of the ITV1 show, and judge Amanda Holden told Paddy and Nico: "I adore you both, I'm so proud of you. You are the epitome of Great Britain, and you are something that the Royal Family would just adore on the Royal Variety Show."

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Jack Pack will perform in the live final of Britain's Got Talent 2014 (Rex)

Jack Pack, from London, had previously impressed the judges with their rendition of the classic Frank Sinatra song "That's Life", and were back with Ol' Blue Eyes for "My Way", winning a standing ovation from judges and audience.

Cowell told them: "I love this era of music. This only works if you have good voices and respect the era, and you win on both counts. I've always wanted to work with a group like this, four guys doing the Rat Pack thing."

Walliams said: "I didn't think anybody could follow Paddy and Nico, but that was the performance of the evening."

Holden said: "I think you are going to storm it tonight, you are like a dream boy group. I love that music, you did it beautifully."

Judge Alesha Dixon said: "If I was at home, I would be picking up the phone and voting for you."

Just 45 acts made it through to the live semi-finals of the show from the thousands who applied and the hundreds who auditioned.

Those in the final are hoping to win a prize of £250,000 as well as the spot at the Royal Variety Performance.

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