Many Kingswood residents will have recognised a familiar face when nine‑year‑old Lucciano Mortimore stepped on to the Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) stage this spring – and even more so when he invited his grandad, Frankie Johns to join him on stage.
What began as a solo audition quickly turned into one of the most talked-about moments of the series, as Lucciano surprised everyone by calling Frankie out of the audience for a heartfelt duet of History by One Direction. The reaction was immediate, with the audience cheering and the judges visibly moved.
Lucciano and Frankie are already well known locally for bringing music into care homes they have been doing together since Lucciano was very young. Singing for residents has long been a regular part of their lives, well before any TV cameras arrived.
Lucciano’s love of performing clearly runs in the family. His mum, Marisa Billitteri, previously appeared on The X Factor, and Frankie himself has spent decades singing and entertaining in community settings throughout the area. Lucciano also first appeared on Britain’s Got Talent two years ago with a friend, making this recent appearance a return to the famous stage. More recently, producers spotted videos of Lucciano performing online, shared on an Instagram page managed by his mum.
“They saw a post of us performing together,” Frankie explained, “and that’s what led to us being invited back. Filming took place in London last summer, with the audition recorded in August and we were invited back again in September to perform in front of the judges.”
Despite the scale of the show, Frankie said the experience felt personal and emotional. “The whole thing was a bit of a shock,” he said. “Once we got backstage it all became very real. But everyone looked after us — Ant and Dec were absolutely brilliant.”
Speaking after the show, Frankie described performing alongside his grandson as “one of the greatest moments” of his life.
Lucciano’s journey has drawn encouragement from beyond the local area too, with supportive messages from musicians including Robbie Williams and Michael Bublé, and a performance with John Barrowman last year.
Away from the spotlight, the family say staying grounded is important. Lucciano lives in Wales but he visits his grandparents in Kingswood often — especially during school holidays. He loves singing simply to make people smile, whether that’s on a primetime TV stage or in a local care home.
The family are now waiting to hear whether they will be invited back for the semi‑finals. Whatever happens, their performance has already struck a chord locally — a proud moment for Kingswood and a reminder of the special bond between a grandad and grandson.