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Britain's Got Talent: Who is Brian Gilligan? Meet the Irish singer
20 April 2019, 16:22 | Updated: 21 April 2019, 16:40
Singer Brian Gilligan is hoping to turn his fortunes around by taking part in this year's Britain's Got Talent.
The talented Irish singer appears in episode three of BGT in 2019, where he will be hoping his performance of Lady Gaga's 'I'll Never Love Again' will be enough to impress judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon.
Here are all the important facts about Brian Gilligan:
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Who is Brian Gilligan?
Brian Gilligan is a 32-year-old singer from Dublin, who has appeared in various stage shows and musicals in the past.
In 2011, he appeared with Samantha Mumba in the panto Robinson Crusoe in Dublin.
In 2015, he won a part in West End show The Commitments as drummer Billy 'The Animal' Mooney. When a director heard him singing in a stairwell, he re-cast him in the lead role as Deco.
After a two-year run, Brian returned to Dublin, and began working as a freelance music teacher.
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What happened to Brian Gilligan's brother?
Brian turned his back on music after his brother’s tragic death, but is giving his singing career one last chance on Britain’s Got Talent.
He fell into depression after brother Dave died aged 55 last year. There was more heartache as his mum, former theatre school boss Maureen, suffered from dementia.
Brian, whose dad died in 2010, lost his confidence and the joy of performing.
Brian Gilligan. Picture: ITV He said: “Dave had always been the anchor of our family, the glue that kept us together. When he died the enormity of his loss felt too heavy on me.
“I struggled a lot with depression, felt I could no longer sing and considered being a full-time teacher.”
Brian, who is married to dance teacher Laura, said that his depression wavered as son Leo was born last summer.
In a “whirlwind” of emotion, he auditioned for the ITV show. He said: “In one year I felt the loss of my brother, the worry of mum’s condition and the ecstasy of having a son. They were at the front of my mind as I stood on stage.”
