“He’s shaking!” a fan noted as 20-year-old York busker Finley Barrett-Carter stood ready for his big moment on Britain’s Got Talent 2026. No one was quite sure what he was going to do, with Alesha Dixon guessing it might be a rap. But no, Finley opened his mouth and took the whole audience back to 1972, delivering some old school class on Elvis Presley’s late career banger “Burning Love.”
It turns out Finley had no need to be nervous, as he definitely had the right stuff. The young talent quickly got the crowd on their feet and dancing with his rich, distinctive voice. Finley wasn’t trying to impersonate Elvis, but The Music Man has to say he absolutely got the essential vibe right to pull off a killer performance on The King’s last hit single! Finley was not only a hit with the crowd, but also with viewers at home, as his audition became one of the most popular musical auditions this season.
When Britain’s Got Talent uploaded Finley’s audition on March 8, 2026, it quickly hit 720,000 views across two uploads. Viewers loved Finley’s style, and added comments such as “No gimmicks, no daft back story, no nonsense. Just a lad singing. About as simple and authentic an audition I’ve seen in a long time” and “He’s brilliant, amazing voice. Should have got the golden buzzer!”
The King himself was known for bringing down the house with “Burning Love”. The Music Man’s favorite cut of the hit was from Elvis’s performance at his Aloha From Hawaii concert in Honolulu. Elvis performed the concert live to a worldwide satellite audience on January 14, 1973, five months after the single’s release. The King is on fire here, and his band is absolutely in cracking form too.
Finley got a warm reception from the Britain’s Got Talent judges, who could see how much of a fan favorite he was. Alesha Dixon said, “What I loved most about that audition was how you responded when you saw the audience get behind you. Your confidence grew. It looked like you were having the best time of your life up there.” Finley also really impressed with his genuine energy. He just seems like a good lad and he’s quite naturally funny as well. He definitely charmed the judges by the end of the post-performance interview, as can be seen by Simon Cowell’s ear-to-ear smile. Finley went home with four yes votes from the judges. Although he didn’t get the golden buzzer many fans suggested he should have gotten, he’ll be a strong contender moving forward in the competition with how much love he got from the audience.