BGT’s Jonathan Antoine reveals his weight loss journey and why he went solo

It’s been a decade since Jonathan Antoine first auditioned on Britain’s Got Talent – and a lot has changed in his life.

Jonathan was just 17 years old when he was brought into the limelight with singing friend Charlotte Jaconelli.

Back in 2012, the classic duo finished as runners-up to Asheigh and Pudsey, but just days after their defeat, they were offered the contract by Simon Cowell’s Syco record label. 1 million pounds worth of records.

The couple split two years later, with Jonathan going on to have an incredible solo career and become a huge worldwide star.

Despite his global success, the 27-year-old opera star admits he is still a “big family” and lives with his mother, father and sister in Hainault, London.

Speaking to The Mirror, Jonathan opened up about how the BGT “saved” him during dark times and explained what was happening in his life 10 years after finishing in second place.

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Jonathan, who is training part-time in classical style at the Royal Academy of Music, said the BGT came “at the right time” as he was struggling with mental health issues.

Admitting he’s at the “bottom of the cliff,” Jonathan says he’s in a situation where he doesn’t see a future ahead but his life has been transformed thanks to ITV’s talent show.

“I was in a very bad state of mind at the time,” he told us. “I’ve said many times that it saved me. It took me out of the situation I was in and transported me into another dimension.

“For a depressed person to be able to do some really amazing things. To be around the glitz and glamor of it was shining. I was transported into a world that I could never have been able to. It’s a stepping stone to a lifetime.

“I can live this most wonderful life now because of what corresponds to a Blackberry message 10 years ago. It’s crazy how little, tiny things bloom in these wild experiences. “

Jonathan and Charlotte wowed the judges when they sang ‘The Prayer’ during their first audition – with Simon comparing his voice to that of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti.

While the music mogul urged Jonathan to go solo, the pair still made it to the semi-finals and finished second in the final.

For the first time admitting to being completely honest, Jonathan confessed that losing the top prize was “quite devastating”.

“I remember feeling my internal organs sink. I didn’t cry on stage,” he said. “Then you have to think, with Ashleigh and Pudsey, their mission to animals, they might be doing things that are more responsible to me than ever before. Great people too.

“Just remember that everyone above or below you is made of the same things. We are all flesh and blood and electricity runs through them. That’s how you don’t get frustrated.”

Jonathan said in a way that it didn’t take them days after the finale, they were in the studio with record producer Graham Stack, who has worked with Britney Spears, Rod Stewart and Kylie Minogue.

After signing that big record deal with Syco, Jonathan and Charlotte released their debut album Together in September 2012 and their second album Probably Love in August 2013.

However, they decided to part ways in February of next year after being offered solo recording contracts by Sony Classical.

Acknowledging that he’s always wanted to go it alone, Jonathan explained: “Charlotte boosted my confidence to the point where I was able to join BGT and we did a great job.

“None of us have been instrumentalists, we love solo performances, so it’s a natural progression of things. There’s just so much that a classical duo interferes with is real. the ability to do without starting to reinvent the whole thing.

“By the time I had gained the necessary confidence and understood myself a little better, I felt it was time to take the leap.”

Jonathan confessed that the pair hadn’t been in touch for a long time, claiming it had been “quite a while”.

When asked about the possibility of a future reunion, he replied, “Maybe in 20 years. I won’t keep it for the next few months. It’s been a long time and I still have a lot of work to do on my own. first before I go back to the duo tool.”

His first solo album, Tenore, reached number one in the Classical Artist Albums chart and he began touring the UK and US.

He’s worked with some incredible legends, including Mexican musical tenor Rolando Villazón and Italian pairing artist Leone Magiera, who interpreted opera songs with Pavarotti

Basically Jonathan has a strong family unit to support him – with his parents and sister recently traveling with him to the US for his tour.

“I’ll never be able to show off the wealth I got from being born into that family and being cared for by them for so many years. Through the hard times and the good times.” the singer said gratefully.

Jonathan still lives with his mom and dad but has his own office space in the back garden, which houses his guitar and Lego collections.

His mother is responsible for maintaining his stunning mane, using three different sizes of curling wands to get his famous look when he performs.

One thing that has changed about Jonathan is his appearance, as the BGT star has tried to lead a healthier lifestyle and lose weight.

“I still have a lot to lose but I’m making my way,” said the inspirational singer. “I feel stronger and healthier than I have in 10 years, which is a lot.

“This year, I made a proactive choice. I felt like I lacked a lot of discipline. When I was in America, its fast food was everywhere. I was in bad shape at the beginning of the year and I’ve been able to get back to gentle exercise.

“I’m a very big person so heavy workouts will only tire me out. I’m working my way up, thinking about what I eat because that’s important.”

Jonathan took 10,000 steps a day, even if that meant just walking around the room and feeling like he was really living his life.

He added: “For a long time, I just wanted to experience life, let life follow me, try to find the next pleasures. Take control of my own life, embrace my world. you manually, is very satisfied thing.”

As for the sequel, Jonathan will perform at Ephesus in Greece this August, an ancient amphitheater where gladiators once fought.

He’s got more shows at the end of the year and has teased a new record for everyone to enjoy featuring a “very popular, established, and well-known songwriter”.

Jonathan says he has a never-ending list of things he wants to achieve, including performing on every competition and at a host of major opera venues.

But we could see him transition to a very different career, as the singer has a penchant for writing and has started creating his own novel.

“I’m ironically starting to write this because it’s really confusing and weird. Something only I can understand,” he told us.

“I wrote a chapter a day for five days and thought it was really fun and I started to take an interest in it. It became my baby.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever finish it but it’s tackling something complete beyond what you normally do. I’m still trying to figure out if it’s any good and if so, maybe you will see it.

“Like perfection, you put a little bit of yourself out there, you pray and hope people will like it.”

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