A UK-based Filipino made fellow Pinoys proud after he delivered a powerful performance on “Britain’s Got Talent” that prompted Simon Cowell to press the “Golden Buzzer,” securing his place to in the live semifinals.
Matty Juniosa, a 27-year-old part-time waiter in Glasgow, impressed Simon with his performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” which earned a standing ovation from the crowd.
Matty previously competed in the 2019 edition of “Idol Philippines,” where he made it to the Top 12.
In his conversation with the “BGT” judges, he said he wanted to prove to himself that he is more than just a “singing competition loser.”
His rendition of “Purple Rain” wowed the judges and the crowd, earning him the “Golden Buzzer,” which allows a contestant to skip the judges’ shortlist and guarantees a spot in the live semifinals.
A video of Matty’s performance went viral on social media on Sunday, March 29, drawing attention from fellow Pinoys.
“Matty Juniosa’s performance of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ for Britain’s Got Talent!!! GOLDEN BUZZER NI ACCLA!!! FILIPINO BAKLITAS REPRESENT,” an X (formerly Twitter) user wrote.
Matty saw the post and commented, “Oh em gee, hi, everyone, it’s me,” he wrote with loudly crying emojis.
Oh em gee hi everyone it’s me 😭😭😭 https://t.co/SOPzssCn6h
— Matty J. (@mattyjuniosa) March 29, 2026
The comments section was filled with fellow Filipinos congratulating Matty on his achievement.
“Congrats, Matty!!! I’m so proud of you! Your time has come!” a Pinoy user exclaimed.
“I remember you from Idol Philippines! Best of Luck and sana manalo ka po..” another commented.
“Congrats, Matty, saw you sa IG ni Carmelle Collado, then paggising ko, golden buzzer. It was a great perf, goosebumps talaga in version mo. You’re a [star],” a different Pinoy said.
“@mattyjuniosa, your audition is one of the best in the show’s history. It is chilling and heartfelt,” another commented.
Matty has been living in Glasgow for three years after moving to the UK to pursue a degree in Musical Theater at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on a partial scholarship.
Aside from working as a part-time waiter, he has also appeared in theater shows and musical, including like “Kinky Boots” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024, “Oscar At The Crown” in 2025 and “Ne Zha” last January.
Matty was also part of the iDolls, an all-male vocal trio formed by ABS-CBN along with fellow “Idol Philippines” contenders Lucas Garcia and Enzo Almario.
Meanwhile, the “Golden Buzzer” is a feature of “BGT,” in which five lucky talents each year are showered with golden confetti and guaranteed a spot in the live semifinals.
The talent skips the judges’ shortlisting after the audition stage.
Judges will usually go onstage to hug and congratulate their act and show their support during their semifinal.
Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez also received a Golden Buzzer in the franchise and was later named the winner of “America’s Got Talent” Season 20.
