Hear Our Voice will compete in the next Britain's Got Talent semi-final and said they were looking forward to facing 'nice judges' for once.
What did you miss?
Post Office choir Hear Our Voice have opened up on how Britain's Got Talent was "the most brilliant flip-turn" after 15 years of being told they were the only ones facing accusations of theft. The choir told how they finally felt less alone and were happy to be facing "nice judges" rather than "getting sent down".
The choir, made up of around 40 sub-postmasters and their family members who were affected by the Horizon IT scandal, are set to compete in the Britain's Got Talent semi-final on Sunday, 18 May.
Speaking to This Morning on Friday, 16 May, they told how years of battling prosecutions for theft and false accounting caused by faulty IT systems had taken their toll, and why singing together was helping them to move on.
What, how, and why?
Hear Our Voice gave a moving performance in the BGT auditions as they told how they had formed a choir as a way of healing from the false accusations levelled at them in the Horizon IT scandal, branded one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the UK's history.
Speaking on This Morning, choir member Tim who spoke at their audition told how singing together had made them feel less alone: "It's a totally different feeling to the last 15 years because for the vast part of that we've been fighting against adversity and a lot of the time we were told we were the only people going through this.
"So to step on the stage with 40 other people feeling as a family was the most brilliant flip-turn of that, that we could stand together and show that this has not driven us apart, it's united us."
"It was the culmination of all of the work that we'd put into this and there were no nerves, we just wanted to get out there and show how together we were," he added.Another choir member Jess, whose story was featured in ITV drama about the scandal Mr Bates vs The Post Office, said that they had no fears over Simon Cowell and the judging panel after having faced prison sentences in front of courtroom judges.
She said: "We were all in (the choir) to have some fun. (My case has) been going on for 16 years. I was part of the drama series, my story was featured.
"It's nice to be standing in front of nice judges, not to be in a courtroom of judges. We're not going to be worried about getting sent down, going to prison or getting hefty fines. We were there to be happy.
"We've made a really big family out of the choir which we're going to continue, so let's see where this takes us. I just can't wait for Sunday, it's going to be a very emotional day for everybody, but we're going to be happy. It's going to be tears of joy."
Post Office choir wins backing from stars
Viewers and judges found the choir's audition an emotional watch, and they have won the backing of some famous fans — including Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden.
Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid spoke to Holden on Thursday, 15 May and admitted: "I'm rooting for Hear Our Voice, which is the Post Office choir. They're having such an impact, but I expect at this stage you have to remain entirely neutral."
But Holden appeared to agree with her choice, saying: "You do, you do, but you know me, I'm not one for sitting on the fence and I've always said that I would love our Britain's Got Talent winner this year to be a group of people, because it would be amazing for the money to be divvied out amongst all of them and for the joy to be spread. To be at the Royal Variety I think for a choir or a large group of people would be amazing."
This Morning airs on ITV1 at 10am on weekdays.
