I won Britain’s Got Talent – crew ‘nicked’ my prize, audience can be an illusion & David Walliams was biggest tease

IT was the amazing act that combined military might with magical marvel and won Britain's Got Talent.

Richard Jones, 31, from Essex, dazzled the ITV show judges and the public with his skilful sleight of hand and clever card tricks in 2016.

He turned a fizzy drink into tea for David Walliams, read Amanda Holden’s mind and inexplicably gave Alesha Dixon a static shock.

Even Simon Cowell was impressed, branding him "a wizard" and saluting him before he won with 16.7 per cent of the public vote.

Now Richard, who is an ambassador for the , reveals what it was really like to appear on the hit show. 

Here he tells The Sun about the long queues to audition, minimal preparation time and how, just like a magic trick, his trophy mysteriously vanished...

Queued for 7 hours to audition

Some BGT stars, including Pete Cann ‘The Laughter Man’, told us they were invited onto the show by producers and had their acts vetted before stepping foot on stage.

But that was not the case for Richard, who submitted an application and had to go through two lengthy audition processes in October 2015.

He recalls: “I queued for what felt like weeks at the first round but in reality, it was six or seven hours.

“I didn’t expect to get far but thought it would be a nice day out and would allow me to try out my tricks in a more pressurised situation. 

“I thought the auditions were going to be like the toughest job interview, but it was really lovely, everyone bent over backwards to help me.”

Ditched royal gig

Even after those two auditions, Richard didn’t know whether he would perform in front of the judges until four days before.

Such little notice left him unsure if he would get permission to leave his duties in the British Army, where he has served for 12 years. 

Richard explains: “I assumed I hadn’t made it through because I didn’t hear back from them for around five months.

"Then on a Tuesday in February, they asked me to go to The Liverpool Empire Theatre that Friday. 

“It didn’t give me long to figure out what I was going to perform, to get the day off work, or to travel there.

I’m a musician in the army and was supposed to be performing for The Queen at Buckingham Palace on the day of my judges audition

Richard Jones

“I’m a musician in the Army and was supposed to be performing for The Queen at Buckingham Palace that day."

Thankfully for the Lance Corporal, his bosses in The Queen's Ceremonial Bodyguards "were very supportive".

On the day of his big audition, Richard waited for up to eight hours to be seen and wasn't allowed to leave the venue.

He recalls: “I turned up in the morning thinking I would be there for a couple of hours but it ended up taking a long time.

"You couldn't leave the theatre in case you missed your slot and I was there for seven or eight hours without any food.

"All I could think of - even during my audition - was that I couldn’t wait to leave and go to Burger King.”

Changed trick

Richard didn't have much time to prepare, but says a producer dropped a hint about what to include in his act.

He says: “I changed my routine slightly from the first audition because a producer told me, ‘By the way, I saw you do a trick on YouTube with the cut-out and I really liked that.

“Previously, I wasn’t 100 per cent sure that the cut-out trick was captivating enough, especially as you only have 30 seconds to prove your value before you risk getting buzzed.”

For viewers at home, it appears that Britain’s Got Talent venues are packed to the brim - but in reality, that’s not always the case.

Richard explains: “The study where I performed in the live final held around 300 audience members but when I watched it at home, it looked huge.

"It looked like there were thousands of people, but it was a small room."

Cheeky gag

Before the live rounds, six acts are grouped together whether they had made it through or not.

“Your first instinct is to look at everyone else and question whether they are good enough for the finals,” Richard explains. 

“We were the last ones to be revealed that day and had heard lots of crying and cheering before us, so it was terrifying and I didn’t think we would get through. 

“Of course, David Walliams did the typical thing where he said, ‘Sad news, unfortunately…’ which leaves you deflated and then adds, ‘You’ve got to come back for the finals'.”

The judges appear to have a soft spot for some of the acts, but Richard insists they are “very professional” and avoid bias at all costs.

He says: “They make sure you're kept separate from the judges until you’re on air.

"The only time I ever saw them was while performing.

“That’s good though because it means they don’t know you and makes it fair.

"Everyone gets the same amount of time to express who they are and perform.” 

Last minute rush

Richard was ecstatic to make it through to the finals but was also aware of how little time he had to prepare.

He says: “We had two weeks to pull everything together. Fortunately, my lovely group of friends in the magical world helped me to come up with the ideas.

“Everything was super quick and there wasn’t much time. There’s always a big last-minute rush and never enough time in TV."

Trophy vanished

After being crowned the winner, Richard was ferried across to the ITV2 team for an interview and handed a trophy.

But within minutes of receiving it, the accolade gave a compelling magic performance of its own by vanishing.

Richard recalls: “I put the trophy down while the judges all came up to give me a hug and to have photos with them.

“By the time I finished two minutes later it was gone. Someone from the Britain’s Got Talent team or the crowd must have pinched it.

“I was gutted. While I have a lovely photo to remember that moment, I planned to put the trophy up in my house.”

Richard is now an Ambassador for the British Army and has performed for celebrities and even the Royal Family – but one show stands out most.

“My favourite moment was when I had Prince William on the stage and managed to do an illusion with him," he says.

“I can’t believe I got the future King of England on stage. I was a bit worried that his security team would rugby tackle me when I pulled out my sword.

"Weirdly, they must have trusted me. I was a bit gutted because if they had tackled me it would have made headlines all around the world.”

Army made me better magician

In 2010, Richard started performing magic for his fellow soldiers, and he reckons their blunt responses explain why he won the show.

He believes his "military mindset" helped him hone his craft and the job taught him the patience to perfect his act.

Richard says: “To be a successful magician, you need to pay attention to the smallest details, which is similar to what you are taught in the Army. 

“It’s things that most people don’t worry about, like ironing your uniform without leaving a single crease, but that focus makes a big impact as a magician.”

While winning Britain’s Got Talent is quite the feat, Richard insists his “most cherished memories” are performing for sick children.

Over the last four years, he’s worked with the charity Spread A Smile, which sends entertainers, face-painters and therapy dogs to hospitals around the country, and arrange fun activities for families in need.

Richard said: “I’ve met some of the most inspiring children through Spread A Smile including a little boy and his mum who had been in hospital for weeks due to a scary condition.

“I feel it meant a lot to them because it took them out of the fear mindset for a few hours and left him with the biggest smile. 

“I went away feeling on top of the world and heard the boy was performing the magic tricks I taught him for the nurses.”