Coronation Street actor Ian Bartholomew made a surprise appearance during the first round of the Britain's Got Talent auditions on Sunday as he performed his own song This Time It's Forever.
The soap star, 67, who played domestic abuser Geoff Metcalfe on the ITV show, sung his 2020 charity single in support of survivors of domestic abuse, with any money raised from sales of the song going to Women's Aid.
As he took to the stage, he said according to The Sun: 'I am from Cheshire. I was in Coronation Street. I played nasty Geoff Metcalfe. He was a nasty piece of work. I started in 2018 and I fell off a roof in the show last year. I am 67.
Unexpected: Coronation Street actor Ian Bartholomew, 67, made a surprise appearance during the first round of the Britain's Got Talent auditions on Sunday
'The song I am singing I wrote myself and was used in a campaign by Women's Aid to raise awareness about domestic abuse. I am not here for me, I am here for the charity and the abused victims.
'The song came out of the first lockdown when cases of domestic abuse were going through the roof and three women were dying every two weeks and I was so angry and I still am.'
Ian said he hoped appearing on Britain's Got Talent would raise awareness for the survivors of domestic abuse and the work Women's Aid does.
Back again: Simon Cowell, 62, was back on the Britain's Got Talent judging panel with Amanda Holden, 50, David Walliams, 50, and Alesha Dixon, 43
Show judge David Walliams, 50, told Ian he did 'brilliantly' and he did well with his 'unexpected' performance which touched on 'a very difficult subject'.
Amanda Holden, 50, suggested Ian's audition would have had a bigger impact if he had some survivors alongside him, perhaps singing in a choir.
Simon agreed, telling Ian he needed '50 or 100 voices' alongside him on stage.
Making a difference: The soap star, who played domestic abuser Geoff Metcalfe on the ITV show, sung his 2020 charity single in support of survivors of domestic abuse
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Ian and Britain's Got Talent for comment.
Ian previously said of his track: 'The song This Time it’s Forever, is about escaping from, and surviving domestic abuse.
'The inspiration behind it stemmed from the research I did for the role of Geoff and the Coronation Street coercive control storyline in which Women’s Aid was heavily involved, and, because of that, I wanted to support and help the charity in its life-saving work with survivors of domestic abuse.
Raising awareness: Ian previously said of his track: 'The song This Time it’s Forever, is about escaping from, and surviving domestic abuse' (pictured 2017)
'The point of the song is to raise awareness and funds for Women’s Aid so it can continue to combat the suffering and pain caused by the alarming frequency in our society of this appalling crime. It is not just a storyline on TV.
'It is happening right
