BGT's Jonathan Antoine's life after ITV show from weight loss to diagnosis

Jonathan Antoine, famed for his stint on Britain's Got Talent, has been in the spotlight following his weight loss journey and recent diagnosis.

The classical singer, who became a household name after appearing on the show, is back in the news after its return for the 17th season premiere of the hit talent show last night. The judging panel, featuring Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, and newcomer Bruno Tonioli, is on the hunt for fresh talent to grace the Royal Variety Show stage.

It's been over a decade since Jonathan, then just 17, captivated the nation and the judges with his stunning performance of 'The Prayer' alongside Charlotte Jaconelli during the sixth season. His exceptional vocal talent drew comparisons from Simon Cowell to none other than Luciano Pavarotti, propelling him and Charlotte to the finals.

Despite their impressive run, they ultimately lost out to Ashleigh and Pudsey, the charming dog act, the Liverpool Echo reports. Reflecting on not clinching the top spot, Jonathan shared: "I remember the feeling of the organs sinking. I didn't cry on stage.

"You have to then think, with Ashleigh and Pudsey, their mission with animals, they'll probably do more responsible things with that than I ever would. Wonderful people as well.

"Just remembering everyone that comes above or below you is made of the same stuff. We're all flesh and blood and electricity coursing through them. That's how you stay not depressed."

Following the second place finish, Jonathan and Charlotte embarked on a flowering career, subsequently signing a hefty £1m contract with Simon Cowell's Syco label shortly after the show concluded. The duo issued their debut album Together in September 2012 and second record Perhaps Love in August 2013 but chose to part ways the next February after solo record deals were put on the table by Sony Classical.

Jonathan openly expressed his solo aspirations during Britain's Got Talent, highlighting the pivotal role Charlotte played in building his confidence for participation: "Charlotte raised up my confidence to the level I could go on BGT and we made something beautiful.

"Neither of us had been ensemble artists, we loved solo performances, so it was the natural evolution of the thing. There's only so much a crossover classical duo can actually do without starting to reinvent the whole thing.

"At the point I had the necessary confidence and understood myself a bit more I felt it was time to make the leap."

Jonathan's solo career has been a triumph, with his debut album, Tenore, topping the Classical Artist Album chart and leading to tours in the UK and the US. Now 29, he regularly updates his followers on Instagram.

Jonathan has spoken about his recent journey towards a healthier lifestyle in an effort to shed some pounds, with snaps on social media showing a significantly trimmer figure. He added: "I've still got a lot to lose but I'm making my way. I feel stronger and healthier than I have in 10 years, which is a lot. This year I've made an active choice.

"I've felt I've lacked the discipline a lot. When I was out in America it's fast food everywhere. I was in a terrible state in the start of the year and I've been able to claw my way back doing light exercise. I'm a very big fella so heavy exercise would just tear me up. I'm working my way up, thinking about what I eat because that is important."

Jonathan has committed to walking 10,000 steps daily, even if it means pacing around the room, and believes he's now truly engaging with life. Reflecting on his journey, he shared: "For a long time I was just experiencing life, letting life live me, trying to find the next pleasure. Taking control of your own life, seizing your world with your hands, is very gratifying."

Earlier this month, on Autism Awareness Day, he revealed on social media that he was diagnosed with autism two years ago.

Taking to Instagram, he shared: "I got my diagnosis in 2022, not long after my 27th birthday, and for a short while fell into it like a daydream. The recontextualisation of a life already lived is a scary thing to reckon with, but those things done are already set - there is no going back from here!

He continued: "I still don't know what exactly I have to contribute to the broader discussion, I'm in the process of finding out what it all means to me in the first place, but perhaps the naiveties of that process are novel enough to write down, so I try regardless.

"Much as in our ideological tendencies I would wager that the vast majority of people lie somewhere away from the most extreme ends of a given spectrum, and indeed that those 'ends' really blur together in strange and interesting ways and loop back around through hidden channels -though I only have anecdotal evidence backing my opinion.

"I have met many people who are 'normal', but I don't know that I've ever met someone totally 'neurotypical'. ""Our inner and outer worlds are so vastly different, and by 'our' here I mean people in general.

"We cultivate inner spaces that twist our outer material world and then expect that outer world to conform to our personal interpretations of it. The filter of our perception generates necessary atypicalities, divergences from 'base reality'.

"We all get our own little 'Matrix' hidden just behind our eyes, and we each see a different tint over the real world. It's good practice to try and imagine just what kind of lens someone else is viewing the world through.

"Something to bring yourself closer to others, a little way to love yourself. So be kind, look a while through someone else's glasses, and revel in how beautifully different we each are to one another. All my love, as sincerely as it could be given. "

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