VIDEO: Choir's moving Britain's Got Talent performance bagged £10k donation from Simon Cowell

The Christie Musical Theatre Company, who practice twice a week at Thames Primary Academy, Severn Road, Blackpool, did not make it to the semi-finals of the popular reality show - but walked away with a much greater gift.

Following their audition performance of ‘The Circle of Life’ at The Lowry in Manchester, judge Simon Cowell signed over a huge donation to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

Group founder and lead singer Emma Norman, 45, from Hambleton, said: “We were invited onto the show to represent The Christie. We went along because we wanted to see if we could get a little bit of air time for the hospital because everybody knows about the Christie in the North West, but not many people know it’s Europe’s biggest cancer research and treatment centre.

“We went out and sang as we have always done, and the judges got to their feet and the whole theatre stood. The comments were amazing.

“We left the stage and as we were chatting to Ant and Dec in the wings I heard Simon’s voice saying ‘where’s Emma?’, and he took my hand and said he wanted to donate to the Christie.”

Simon donated £10,000 to the hospital thanks to the group’s moving performance.

Emma said: “Every single penny we raise goes to the hospital. It would take us maybe two years to raise that much money, so for him to give us that after three minutes of singing is amazing.

“We had a brilliant day and to walk away with that money made it all worthwhile.”