And Robert White is second

Lost Voice Guy has won tonight's Britain's Got Talent final.

He said he had been 'blown away' but the support of judges and the general public, adding: 'I've had so much love from everyone and I’m grateful for it all.'

The Newcastle-born comic wins £250,000 and gets to perform on the Royal Variety Show. The comedian, real name Lee Ridley, joked that he was looking forward to appearing before the Queen, saying he had been a fan since she recorded Bohemian Rhapsody.

He said that following his victory: 'I really hope I get to travel the world and make people laugh' and joked he would  be spending the prize money on getting a Geordie accent for his iPad speech software. 

Fellow comic Robert White came second, and joked he would now be giving up comedy to be a teacher, his plan before getting so far in the ITV competition.

Speaking on ITV2's spin-off show, Britain's Got More Talent, host Dec Donnelly suggested having comedians take the top two positions should encourage more comics to enter in future.

He said: 'We've always said comedians struggle on this show - but the good ones do really well'

And asked to explain Lost Voice Guy's success, the presenter said: 'He connected with the audience. He was able to go up there and be self-deprecating and let people laugh at him and with him, most importantly.'

Ridley, who is unable to speak following complications with his cerebral palsy early in his life, attracted a standing ovation from all four judges following his set.

He joked about the fall he took after the semi-final that left his face battered and bruised, saying he had a 'facelift... that's almost as bad as Simon's'

He also jokingly tried to interact with Walliams using the iPad he uses to communicate

In his set Robert White pooh-pooed the suggestion he was an inspiration for those with autism, saying: 'For those who don't know what Asperger's syndrome is, it means I'm better than you.'

He returned to his favourite theme of teasing the judges, again insinuating David Walliams was gay, with a song to the judge's mum: 'Your son'll come out tomorrow.'

He suggested Alisha Dixon was a stripper, that Amanda Holden looked like a man, and that Simon Cowell was so old he had Alzheimer's

The third comedian in the final, Micky P Kerr did not make the final three based on audience votes.

The musical comedian used his set to respond to a review he once got that called him arrogant by signing: 'I'm not arrogant, I'm just genuinely better than anyone else.'

• Lost Voice Guy is one of the 28 acts taking part in this year's Chortle Fast Fringe at the Underbelly on London's South Bank on July 9. Tickets are available here.

Did the voting public get it right?

Published: 3 Jun 2018