Glasgow-based Filipino singer Matty Juniosa has stepped onto the international stage through talent competition Britain’s Got Talent. During the televised audition, Juniosa told the crowd he had come to terms with being labeled a “loser” in singing competitions. Simon Cowell then asked, “Do you watch Star Wars?” Juniosa replied, “No, I’m too gay for that,” drawing immediate laughter from the room.
Performing his own rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Juniosa held back before the final stretch, then pushed into a full vocal run that prompted the audience to rise mid-performance. By the end of the song, all four judges, Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and KSI, were on their feet. Cowell then hit the Golden Buzzer, sending Juniosa to the live semi-finals.
Juniosa previously competed on the first season of Idol Philippines in 2019, where he placed in the Top 12. After his run on the show, he relocated to Glasgow, where he works as a part-time waiter and continued performing before auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent.
