Jai McDowell wins Britain's Got Talent

Singer Jai McDowell - considered the "dark horse" by Amanda Holden - on Saturday won this year's Britain's Got Talent. He beat the favourite, young singer Ronan Parke, and third place New Bounce, to the £100,000 prize. His next gig will be in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety performance later this year. The 24-year-old Scottish disability support worker beat beat Parke by just 2.5 per cent more votes. "I feel absolutely amazing, fantastic... it's so much more," he said. Parke, 12, had been hotly tipped to win and was compared with Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. "I loved it, thank you to everyone who voted," said Parke. "Congratulations Jai." McDowall sang Josh Groban's To Where You Are, earning praise from BGT judge Simon Cowell: "That was you at your best. I love that song. For the first time throughout the competition believing you could win. I don't think the vocal was perfect, it was a little bit monotone... it was still terrific." Fellow judge David Hasselhoff told McDowall: ‘You sang beautifully man. You sang with your heart and your heart was beautiful.' The 12-year-old from Norwich shrugged off recent controversy the show had been ‘fixed' for him to win and received a standing ovation following his rendition of Kelly Clarkson's Because Of You.