Fans were left stunned on Saturday night as the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir sealed their place in the Britain’s Got Talent final — just as drone performers Celestial soared into the next round via a surprise joint Golden Buzzer, sparking a storm of reactions online.

The choir, run by farmers Simon Gwilliam and Lizzy Dean, was originally formed by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. He had sought singing agricultural workers for an advert promoting his Hawkstone beer range, but the group quickly evolved into a 32-member choir performing to raise awareness for loneliness and mental health issues in farming communities. 

Despite judge Simon Cowell hinting they were “tipped to win,” the choir members — aged between 27 and 74 — were visibly stunned when their names were called. Performing Elbow’s “One Day Like This”, they impressed judge Amanda Holden, who hit the Golden Buzzer to send them through to the live shows.

Speaking to hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the choir shared how their singing mission is about more than music: it’s about supporting farmers struggling with isolation. Jeremy Clarkson, watching the performance for the first time, revealed on social media, “I actually welled up… to see them on that stage with all that love in the room made my heart sing. They’re just fantastic.”

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Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir became the final act to reach the Britain Got Talent after drone performers Celestial were sent through in a shock Golden Buzzer twist on Saturday

At the beginning of the show viewers were left furious after hosts Ant McParltin and Declan Donnelly announced the judges would be given a surprise joint Golden Buzzer

Meanwhile, the judges surprised viewers with a rare joint Golden Buzzer, sending Celestial, the epic drone act, directly to the final. Alesha Dixon described the performance as “one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen on this show,” while Simon Cowell called it “an incredible production.”

Fans, however, were less impressed with the twist, taking to X to vent:

• “Can’t Ant and Dec have a Golden Buzzer in the Semi Final?”
• “An act that cannot win for logistical reasons… why?”
• “Group Golden Buzzer… should’ve been Ant and Dec though.”
  

  The choir, was originally set up by the former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson after searching for singing agricultural workers to appear in an advert for his Hawkstone beer range

  

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  Despite judge Simon Cowell hinting earlier in the show that the choir had been ‘tipped to win’, the farming singers were still stunned when their names were called.

The choir’s appearance also coincides with the upcoming fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm, where viewers can expect more uplifting moments despite the darker tone of the new season. The group is also giving back: their record The Banned One is raising funds for the mental health charity Shout, with all profits going directly to support farmers’ wellbeing.

Jeremy Clarkson added, “These guys work incredibly hard for incredibly small rewards… to see them celebrated like this is fantastic. I’m a very happy man tonight because the choir is fab. That’s it.”

The semi-final may have left fans divided over the Golden Buzzer twist, but one thing is clear: the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir is winning hearts — and doing it for a cause that truly matters.