Britain’s Got Talent star dead: Dave Betton who was praised by Simon Cowell for duets with his son dies aged 82
Britain’s Got Talent star Dave Betton has died aged 82.
The singer performed at the show alongside her son Dean in 2020 after being persuaded to take the stage again a decade after retiring from the club circuit.
The father-son duo managed to advance to the later stages of the competition after receiving a standing ovation from the judges for their performance of Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life.
‘Some days I think all I need is a cup of hot chocolate,’ Simon Cowell told them on the programme. ‘And you were that cup of hot chocolate. ‘You made me feel good and I needed it.’
In recent years Dave had been living in sheltered accommodation in Lytham. He died of sepsis after a short illness.
Dean announced the news of his father’s death last month with a tribute on Facebook.
Britain’s Got Talent star Dave Betton dies aged 82 after short illness
“It is with great sadness and sadness that I must inform you all that the legendary Dave Betton sadly passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning, surrounded by his loved ones after a very short illness,” he wrote.
‘I, my brother Darren, our spouses, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-granddaughters, extended family and all his friends will miss him dearly and he will leave a huge void for us to fill.
‘For those who knew her, she lit up a room wherever she went and everyone instantly fell in love with her.
Dave began performing on stage for the Rat Pack stars in his youth, and in 1981 he and his wife Josie bought the Dorchester Hotel in Blackpool, where he began his professional career as a club singer.
He became a well-known name on the local club scene in Blackpool in the eighties and nineties, and also performed abroad with tours in Australia and South Africa, and appeared on stage in Las Vegas.
He retired in 2010 following the death of his wife Josie. It was his son Dean, now a Robbie Williams tribute act and professional singer, who convinced him to audition for BGT.
In a Facebook post last week, Dean wrote about his memories of Britain’s Got Talent and revealed he wanted his father to experience another burst of fame after retiring.
‘I always looked up to my father and he inspired me to start singing quite late in the game. He was certainly a local legend in his time; He used to pick up sticks,” Dean shared.
The singer performed at the show alongside her son Dean in 2020 after being persuaded to take the stage again a decade after retiring from the club circuit.
Dean announced the news of his father’s death last month with a tribute on Facebook: ‘For those who knew him, he lit up a room wherever he went and everyone instantly fell in love.’
‘Even though he’s retired I wanted him to have a great live TV audience experience and when we got such a huge response on Britain’s Got Talent, I made it up.’
‘I was so proud of him, he knocked them out. ‘The tributes he received when I posted about his death on Facebook last week were extraordinary, with over 400 messages.’
