Sign Along With Us move Britain’s Got Talent judges to tears as choir lands coveted golden buzzer

Local sign language champions ‘Sign Along With Us’ Jade and Christian Kilduff moved judges to tears as they were awarded the coveted golden buzzer on Saturday’s episode of Britain’s Got Talent (11 April).

Determined to improve the lives of those with disabilities, Jade, of Heywood, set up the group ‘Sign Along With Us’ in January 2019, a daily sign-of-the-day video page which has become an internet sensation, teaching Makaton which she uses to communicate with Christian, who has cerebral palsy.

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Makaton signs are based on the gestures used in BSL, but it is used in conjunction with speech and in English grammatical word order.

 

 

Over 100,000 children and adults use Makaton symbols and signs, either as their main method of communication, or as a way to support speech.

Jade, and Christian, who have since turned 19 and five, respectively since the audition, were joined by a choir of other local children and adults, including Ella Chadwick, for an emotional rendition of ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman.

 

 

The powerful performance was met with a standing ovation from all four judges, even moving Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden to tears.

Simon Cowell said the audition was one he would “never, ever forget” whilst fellow judge David Walliams hit the golden buzzer, guaranteeing a slot in the live semi-finals.