BGT heroes’ welcome for lecturer after making television history with winning farmers’ choir
A COLEG Cambria lecturer was given a hero’s welcome by students and colleagues after helping make television history as part of the first choir ever to win Britain’s Got Talent.
Aled Morris, an Agricultural Engineering lecturer at the college’s Llysfasi campus and a farmer from Llangollen, returned to work to cheers and applause after the Hawkstone Farmers Choir triumphed in the ITV talent show final.
The 34-strong choir, made up of farmers and agricultural workers from across the UK, captured the hearts of millions with a series of emotional performances while shining a spotlight on mental health and suicide prevention in the farming industry.
Their victory saw them beat drone light show act Celestial to the £250,000 prize and secure a place at this year’s Royal Variety Performance in front of King Charles III.
Formed in May 2025, the choir originally came together for a Hawkstone beer advertising campaign before growing into a close-knit support network for people working in agriculture. More than 500 people applied to join, with 10 members coming from Wales.
For Aled, the journey started when his fiancée Sarah encouraged him to apply after spotting an advert seeking farmers who could sing.
“I can hold a tune, so I sent in a video of myself singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and was lucky enough to be accepted,” he said.
“It was only when I pulled into the car park at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog, that I realised what was actually happening.
“We were there to film an advert for Hawkstone beer. It was a controversial advert, but we had so much fun doing it. Jeremy has done so much for the farming community and was incredibly supportive throughout.
“We all stayed in touch afterwards through a WhatsApp group, and then our musical director suggested entering Britain’s Got Talent. The rest is history.”
The choir’s audition performance of Elbow’s One Day Like This earned Amanda Holden’s Golden Buzzer, sending them straight through to the live shows.
After winning their semi-final with a powerful rendition of Bastille’s Pompeii, they booked their place in the final, where they performed an original song, This Is Home, inspired by their farming roots.
“To sing an original song on that stage on Saturday night was incredible,” said Aled.
“I still can’t believe we won. It feels totally surreal. The whole journey has been amazing, though I don’t feel any different. Walking back into college on Monday to cheers and applause from the students was lovely.”
Amanda Holden was visibly emotional following the performance and told the choir: “You’ve made me cry again. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
Aled said raising awareness of mental health challenges in agriculture has always been central to the choir’s mission.
“Farming is a very lonely job and mental health is a huge issue across the industry,” he said.
“You spend a lot of time alone with your own thoughts, so we wanted to shine a light on that. The response from the public has been overwhelming and incredibly uplifting. It feels like the nation has our back.”
The choir has pledged to donate a significant proportion of its prize money to charities supporting mental health in farming.
With his wedding taking place later this month and preparations already underway for the Royal Variety Performance, Aled says the past few weeks have been unforgettable.
“Getting married at the end of June and now preparing to sing for the King – it all feels surreal but fantastic. Now we have this wonderful problem of deciding what we are going to sing for the Royal Family!” he said.
Coleg Cambria Head of Llysfasi Elin Roberts added: “We are incredibly proud of Aled and everything he has achieved with the Hawkstone Farmers Choir. His passion for agriculture and dedication to our learners make him a fantastic ambassador for Llysfasi, and his success shines a national spotlight on both farming and the rural communities we serve.”