The semi-final she lost
Series nine of Britain's Got Talent ran on ITV from 11 April to 31 May 2015, with seven audition shows to 23 May and five semi-finals from 25 to 29 May. McParland appeared in the last of them, on 29 May, and took 14.3 percent of the public vote, finishing third on the night before an audience of 9.51 million, with a further 7.91 million watching the results.
Third place sent her into the judges' vote. That vote tied, and under the tie-break she lost it on the public vote. At the end of the final semi-final of the series, a nine-year-old had been eliminated by the narrowest procedure the format contains.
The wildcard
Series nine used a modified wildcard rule with two routes back: a judges' wildcard and a public wildcard, both drawn from acts already eliminated in the semi-finals, with the public route decided by audience voting.
The series records name her directly: the public wildcard was the extreme martial artist Jesse-Jane McParland, who had lost out in the tied judges' vote in the final semi-final. Two days after being knocked out, she was back in the competition — restored not by the panel that had tied over her, but by the audience.
The final
The final was broadcast on 31 May 2015 and watched by 12.75 million people, the largest audience attached to any performance in this record. Twelve acts competed. The dog act Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse won with 22.6 percent, the close-up magician Jamie Raven was runner-up on 20.4 and the choir Cor Glanaethwy third on 10.7.
McParland finished eighth with 4.2 percent, ahead of the vocal group The Neales on 3.6, the electronic dance group UDI on 1.9, the street dance group Entity Allstars on 1.7 and the dance group Boyband on 1.5. Ahead of her were the dance group Old Men Grooving on 10.2, the 15-year-old singer and pianist Isaac Waddington on 9.7, the singer Calum Scott on 8.2 and the impressionist Danny Posthill on 5.3.
The youngest in a twelve-act final
At nine she was the youngest soloist in the final. Waddington, at fifteen, was the next youngest; Entity Allstars included dancers as young as ten and the choir Cor Glanaethwy singers as young as seven. The oldest finalists, Old Men Grooving, were between forty and sixty.
Martial arts is also among the least common disciplines to reach that stage. The 2015 final contained a dog act, a magician, two choirs or vocal groups, four dance acts, a singer, a singer-pianist and an impressionist. McParland's act was the only one of its kind on the bill, and it arrived there against the judges' own decision.
What is documented — and what is not
Firm: her age of nine, her act as an extreme martial artist, 14.3 percent and third place in the fifth semi-final on 29 May 2015, her elimination on a tied judges' vote, her return as the public wildcard, and eighth of twelve in the final on 31 May with 4.2 percent.
Not documented in the sources gathered here: her home town, her school, her family, who trained her, what the routine involved, whether she competed in martial arts outside the show, and anything about her after May 2015. There is no Wikipedia article in her own name. The research note behind this record also flags that her nationality is assumed from the show rather than stated in the source.
Watch: Jesse-Jane McParland on camera
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse-Jane McParland | United Kingdom | Nine years old, knocked out on a tied judges' vote, and voted back into th | Age 9 |
| Elisabeth Anisimow | United States | Living paintings sold at 11 for $2,500-$5,000 each | Age 11 |
| Carmel Bechler | Israel | Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 | Age 16 |
| Andrea Dominizi | Italy | A beetle in the corner of the frame, logging machinery behind it, and a wo | Age 17 |
| Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas | Germany | Winning Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 | — |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- Took 14.3 percent for third in semi-final 5 on 29 May 2015 and lost a tied judges' vote
- Returned as the series' public wildcard and finished eighth of twelve in the final with 4.2 percent
- The final was watched by 12.75 million and won by Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse on 22.6 percent
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- No home town, school, family or coaching detail in the sources gathered here
- No description of the routine, and no record of competition outside the show
- Nothing documented after May 2015, and no Wikipedia article of her own
- Nationality is taken from the show rather than stated in the source table
Questions people ask about Jesse-Jane McParland
How old was Jesse-Jane McParland on Britain's Got Talent?
Nine, in the 2015 series. No source in this record gives a date of birth.
How did she reach the final after being eliminated?
Series 9 used a public wildcard as well as a judges' wildcard. The audience voted her back after she lost a tied judges' vote in the fifth semi-final.
Where did Jesse-Jane McParland finish?
Eighth of twelve in the final on 31 May 2015, with 4.2 percent of the public vote.
What was her act?
She is listed as an extreme martial artist, performing martial arts and acrobatics.
Who won Britain's Got Talent in 2015?
The dog act Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse, with 22.6 percent, ahead of the magician Jamie Raven on 20.4 percent.
How many people watched that final?
12.75 million, for the broadcast on 31 May 2015.
Is Jesse-Jane McParland on Wikipedia?
Not with an article of her own. She appears in the results tables for Britain's Got Talent series 9.
Where is Jesse-Jane McParland now?
No source in this record states this. Nothing after May 2015 appears here.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Jesse-Jane’s story?
How did Jesse-Jane McParland reach the 2015 Britain's Got Talent final?
Where did she finish in that final?
Who won the 2015 series?
Sources
- Britain's Got Talent series 9 — semi-finals, wildcards and final results — Wikipedia, 2026-09-22
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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