When Britain’s Got Talent star Francine Lewis stormed onto our screens all the way back in 2013, it was clear from the very beginning that viewers were witnessing the birth of a superstar. Building on her existing career of working the 90s TV circuit, the 48 year old comedian left the nation in stitches with her flawless impersonations of Holly Willoughby, Katie Price and Cheryl Tweedy, with judge Simon Cowell instantly declaring her “a star” there and then.
Effortlessly progressing through the competition, victory was almost within touching distance when Francine made it all the way to the 2013 final, but she was sadly pipped to the post by Hungarian shadow theatre group Attraction. Yet, despite failing to secure the win, it didn’t slow Francine down, with the star now set back on our screens in spin-off series BGT Reacts, in which former contestants react to the new hopefuls.
“It’s sort of like Gogglebox,” Francine laughs. “It’s so much fun because you never know who is going to walk out on that stage. Britain’s Got Talent brings back so many amazing memories for me – it was the best thing I ever did.”
Reflecting on her own experience on the show, Francine was quick to touch on the subject of the judging panel - including how she felt about former judge David Walliams ’ departure from the series in 2022.
She adds, “The judges were so lovely too. I’ve messaged Amanda [Holden] a few times since the show and have bumped into Simon [Cowell] at a couple of events. I was sad to see David [Walliams] leave – I really miss him on the show. Bruno [Tonioli] had some pretty big shoes to fill there.”
But it turns out that absence really does make the heart grow fonder, as Francine even let slip that she had been talking to bestselling children's author David, to pick his brain about her latest career venture.
“I’m writing a children’s book at the moment and David has given me such incredible advice. He’s been amazing,” she says. “I was inspired by my own kids, because reading a bedtime story to them was always our favourite thing to do together when they were growing up.”
“I’m working on the book with an illustrator called Tim Stead and it focuses on mental health, but in a way kids will understand. It’s about three siblings who are mice. One of them wants to audition for Britain’s Got Talent and the other two film her performance. But when they upload it online, they get all these awful comments. The book will look at how to deal with something like that and the impact devices, such as phones or iPads, can have on children.”
While the subject addresses a concern that will be familiar to many parents, it’s also a subject close to Francine’s heart. Speaking of social media pressures, Francine believes it’s important to raise awareness of the dangers. Although she says she’s been “fortunate” when it comes to trolling, she does occasionally get “horrible” comments.
“On the whole, I’ve been very lucky on social media. There is the odd message but when I get DMs from people to say I’ve made them laugh or brighten their day, it makes everything worth it.”
BGT Reacts is available to stream now on ITVX
