Jasper Cherry Now: 49.2% of a BGT Semi-Final, Aged 14

Biography

The semi-final

Series fourteen staged its semi-finals late, between 30 August and 10 October 2020, after the pandemic stopped production in March. Cherry appeared in the fourth, broadcast on 26 September to 6.07 million viewers, and finished first with 49.2 percent of the public vote, qualifying outright without a judges' vote.

The figure is the outlier in the series. A Britain's Got Talent semi-final splits one night's vote between eight or nine acts, so the leader usually lands somewhere between a fifth and a third of it. Taking almost half means the rest of the bill shared the other half between them.

The final

The final was broadcast on 10 October 2020 to 7.12 million viewers. The comic singer and pianist Jon Courtenay won with 35.7 percent, the choir Sign Along with Us came second on 15.3, the comic juggler Steve Royle third on 14.1 and the comedian Nabil Abdulrashid fourth on 13.9.

Cherry finished eighth of ten with 3.3 percent. Between a semi-final share of 49.2 percent and a final share of 3.3 percent lies the whole arithmetic of the format: the two votes measure different things. A semi-final leader beats the acts on that night; a finalist has to beat nine other acts who each did the same.

A final half made of magic

Five of the ten acts in the 2020 final were magic acts. The duo James and Dylan Piper, aged 38 and 12, finished fifth on 5.7 percent; the close-up magician Damien O'Brien, 34, sixth on 4.6; the 11-year-old close-up magician Aidan McCann seventh on 3.7; Cherry eighth on 3.3; and Magical Bones, 37, ninth on 2.9.

Together those five took 20.2 percent, less than the winner managed alone. All five finished between fifth and ninth, inside a band under three points wide. The records do not say why, and this page does not speculate; they do show that the discipline was heavily represented and uniformly beaten.

The conditions

The series was broadcast in two halves. Pre-recorded audition shows ran on ITV from 11 April to 30 May 2020, and the live rounds only resumed on 30 August, with a virtual audience, physical distancing among hosts, judges, contestants and crew, and semi-finals that were pre-recorded rather than live, which changed the voting format.

Simon Cowell, injured, was replaced for the semi-finals and final by Ashley Banjo, and Amanda Holden was promoted to head judge. Five golden buzzers had gone to Fayth Ifil, Honey and Sammy, Jon Courtenay, Nabil Abdulrashid and Sign Along with Us; Cherry received none, and reached the final on votes.

What is documented — and what is not

Firm: his age of 14, his act as close-up magic, 49.2 percent and first place in semi-final four on 26 September 2020, and eighth of ten in the final on 10 October with 3.3 percent.

Not documented in the sources gathered here: his home town, his school, his family, who taught him, what the routines contained, and anything about him after October 2020. There is no Wikipedia article in his own name; he appears inside the series fourteen tables. The research note behind this record also flags that his nationality is assumed from the show rather than stated in the source.

Achievement Timeline

Jasper Cherry — every milestone on this page, in order.

11 April – 30 May 2020

Pre-recorded series 14 audition shows Pre-recorded series 14 audition shows are broadcast on ITV

30 August 2020

The delayed live rounds begin, with a The delayed live rounds begin, with a virtual audience

26 September 2020

Cherry, 14, wins semi-final 4 with 49.Cherry, 14, wins semi-final 4 with 49.2 percent of the public vote

10 October 2020

Finishes eighth of ten in the final wiFinishes eighth of ten in the final with 3.3 percent

10 October 2020

Jon Courtenay wins the series with 35.Jon Courtenay wins the series with 35.7 percent before 7.12 million viewers

Watch: Jasper Cherry on camera

Britain's Got Talent 2020: 14-year-old magician Jasper Cherry, full auditionAnthony Ying

Historical Comparison

Person	Country	Milestone	Age / Stat
Issy Simpson	United Kingdom	Runner-up on Britain's Got Talent 2017, aged 8	Age 8
Ryland Petty	United Kingdom	He reached a live semi-final in Britain at nine and another in America at	Age 9
Kadan Bart Rockett	United States	Magic act, America's Got Talent season 11 semi-finals (2016)	Age 10
Aidan McCann	United Kingdom	Eleven years old, 27 percent of a semi-final vote, and a final where five	Age 11
Jasper Cherry	United Kingdom	Nearly half of everything voted on the night went to one 14-year-old with	Age 14

What is documented — and what is not

✓ Documented

Took 49.2 percent to win semi-final 4 on 26 September 2020, aged 14
Finished eighth of ten in the final on 10 October 2020 with 3.3 percent
Five of the ten finalists were magic acts, taking 20.2 percent between them

? Unverified, disputed or wrong

No home town, school, family or training detail in the sources gathered here
No description of the routines performed
Nothing documented after October 2020, and no Wikipedia article of his own
Nationality is taken from the show rather than stated in the source table

Questions people ask about Jasper Cherry

How old was Jasper Cherry on Britain's Got Talent?

Fourteen, in the 2020 series. No source in this record gives a date of birth.

What was Jasper Cherry's semi-final score?

49.2 percent of the public vote in the fourth semi-final on 26 September 2020 - first on the night, and the largest single share of the series' semi-finals.

Where did Jasper Cherry finish in the final?

Eighth of ten, with 3.3 percent, on 10 October 2020.

Why did his vote fall so far?

The sources do not explain it. They record that a semi-final divides one night's vote between eight or nine acts, while the final divided it between ten acts that had each topped a night of their own, five of them magicians.