Without the pressure to become a celebrity that came with later seasons, Britain’s Got Talent was able to discover some extremely honed talent in its early seasons. Authentic, raw, and comically awkward performances were the norm, as demonstrated by the renowned father-son dancing combo Stavros Flatley in 2009.
Season three of British Got Talent aired in 2009, during which Susan Boyle became a global star and the season-winning street dance group, Diversity, debuted, sending the BGT crowd into a frenzy. Stavros Flatley added an unexpected twist to this celebrity roster by doing an amazing Irish dance performance with a Greek-Cypriot twist, in which shirts were off and bellies were exposed.
Demi Demitriou, the father, was forty years old at the time. He sprung from behind the theater’s side curtain and began hare-jumping around the stage to the music of his Irish violin. He then stepped back to catch his breath before handing over the stage to his twelve-year-old son Lagi, who amazed the crowd with his excellent footwork after running a chaotic merry-go-round.
On Saturday Live (Channel 4), Harry Enfield played Michael Flatley, an Irish-American dancer, and Stavros, a Greek kebab shop owner, in their satirical comedy performance. The show’s first three judges—Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan—voted yes three times, advancing Stavros Flatley and his performance to the finals, where they placed fourth.
Demi had owned an electrical company and a Greek food takeaway before becoming a TV talent competition legend. Lagi allegedly skipped a full school year to follow his father on tour when their combination performance gained popularity. After selling his restaurant and losing his electrical company, Demi moved back to Cyprus. Despite his legal troubles and return home, the couple triumphantly returned to Britain’s Got Talent: The Championships in 2019.
The same year they returned to BGT, Stavros Flatley released his book, How to Be a Little Bit Greek. They’ve also been on other networks’ series, such as Sugar-Free Farm, Celebrity Coach Trip, and Dress To Impress. Demi is currently dancing with his nephew Samson, while Lagi proposed to his fiancée Annika on New Year’s Eve 2020; their first child, Xenia, was born in 2023. They have now professionally parted ways.