The Hawkstone Farmers Choir secured a historic Golden Buzzer during their audition for the 19th series of Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) on tonight’s episode.
The prestigious Golden Buzzer grants the choir an instant ticket straight through to the live semi-finals.
The Hawkstone Farmers Choir looks to bring together people from across the UK farming community who share a connection to agriculture and a love of singing.
Performing a soaring rendition of the Elbow anthem “One Day Like This” at the Birmingham Hippodrome, the choir moved a celebrity judging panel led by Amanda Holden, guest judge Stacey Solomon, Alesha Dixon, and KSI.
The two local members representing Dorset include Ben Chick and Ellie Maguire.
Ben is a 27-year-old third-generation farmer from Manor Farm in Sixpenny Handley.
He balances arable work with diversified businesses, including self-storage and a new project called Chalk & Padel, Dorset’s first rural indoor padel club.
Ben, who holds a Grade 8 in singing, famously recorded his audition video in an oilseed rape field accompanied by his four yellow Labradors.
For Ben, the choir was a “genuine lifesaver” while dealing with chronic fatigue over the last year.
“It really is electrifying when everyone comes together as one group,” he shared.
Ben Chick with Jeremy Clarkson (Image: Hawkstone Farmers Choir)
Ellie is the partner of a 35-year-old third-generation tenant farmer from Manor Farm in Sandford Orcas near Sherborne. She balances the “non-stop” chores of children, a dairy and equine operation with teaching riding and recorded her audition video in her car while on maternity leave with her young son.
She described the Golden Buzzer moment as overwhelming: “I just lost it. I couldn’t contain the tears—it felt like we were really being seen.
Ellie Maguire (Image: Hawkstone Farmers Choir)
“The choir is just a breath of fresh air, the friends and memories I have made will last a lifetime. It was unbelievable that we were there and when we got the golden buzzer I just lost it. I couldn’t contain the tears – it felt like we were really being seen.”
The group originally formed after a social media advertisement sought singers for a project with Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone brand.
While the BGT success has been a whirlwind, the choir says it remains focused on its core mission: raising awareness and funds for mental health and suicide prevention within the agricultural community—an industry often defined by isolation.
“I personally know of many who have struggled, and have had friends take their own lives,” said Ellie’s colleague, Sally-Ann Spence, highlighting the sentiment shared by the group.
If the choir were to win the competition, members intend to donate a significant portion of the £250,000 prize to farming-related mental health charities.
Following their “electrifying” success, Ben, Ellie, and the rest of the choir are now preparing for the live semi-finals and a series of new projects in 2026.