Few acts on Britain’s Got Talent manage to stun both judges and audiences alike, but The Lazy Generation did just that—one painful stunt at a time. When 33 year old, and 140 kilo in weight, Josh Coles from Tiverton took a running jump and landed on his teammates in what can only be described as a “human long jump,” gasps rippled through the theatre.
Add to that Simon Cowell snapping an industrial-sized elastic band across their bare chests and a treadmill covered in LEGO bricks and cacti, and it’s easy to see why this group of self-proclaimed “professional idiots” had everyone wincing, laughing, and cheering in equal measure.
Josh wasn’t always part of The Lazy Generation. His journey into the world of extreme comedy began in the digital space, sharing humorous videos on Snapchat before growing a sizeable following across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. “It started with me just uploading funny things in my day-to-day life,” he says. “That naturally grew into several hundred thousand followers across all platforms.”
His comedic influences include the wild, reckless stunts of Jackass and Dirty Sanchez , paired with the slapstick humour of Jim Carrey. “When I was a kid, I’d watch those guys on MTV, then go out to the local park, take my pushbike to the top of the slide, and try to jump a fence. That was the exciting thing to do,” Josh recalls.
His introduction to The Lazy Generation came through social media, where their shared love of chaotic stunts quickly forged a connection. “I’d known the guys for about three years, just engaging with their content online,” he explains. “It was inevitable that we’d end up working together, and here we are now.”
Auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent was always going to be a gamble. Stunt-driven, slapstick performances aren’t exactly common on prime-time television. “We didn’t know how it would be received,” Josh admits. “It was a risk. But we put ourselves out there, and it paid off—the judges and audience loved it.”
And that’s no exaggeration. Their audition was a sensory overload of physical comedy, culminating in a standing ovation from the crowd. Even the notoriously hard-to-please Simon Cowell was impressed. “It reminded me of Home Alone —those moments that really hurt,” he said. Alesha Dixon called it “genius,” while Amanda Holden appreciated the universal pain of stepping on LEGO.
But for Josh, performing in front of the Britain’s Got Talent panel was surreal. “I’ve never been starstruck before, but suddenly I was on stage with Ant and Dec, about to do one of the biggest performances of my life,” he says. “I felt at home, though. As soon as I stepped out, all the anxiety disappeared.”
The scariest part? The wait. He says: “The guys introduced themselves first, leaving me alone backstage. I was pacing the hall, just waiting to be called up. But as soon as I got out there, it became the norm.”
The group’s stunts may look reckless, but Josh insists there’s an art to it. He says: “It’s calculated risk. We might look like we’re setting ourselves up to fail, but that’s the act. We’re professional idiots.”
That professionalism was put to the test during the audition. “I’m 140 kilos, and that human long jump? We only practised it onto a crash mat. The first time we did it properly was on stage,” he says. Adding to the challenge, Josh had injured his ankle during rehearsals. “It swelled up badly—I thought I’d ruined the whole act. But with adrenaline kicking in, I didn’t feel a thing.”
Their stunts tap into a universal, mischievous side of human nature. “It’s relatable. Everyone’s been in a play fight, pranked a sibling, or done something daft just to get a reaction,” he says. “We’re just taking that to another level.”
Since their audition aired, the reaction has been overwhelming. “We were sworn to secrecy, but as soon as it was out, my phone blew up,” Josh says. “Messages from friends, family—even people I hadn’t spoken to in years. All positive. They want to see more.”
And more could well be on the horizon. While the group awaits confirmation on whether they’ve made it through to the live semi-finals, they’re already thinking about the future. “If we get through, what you’ve seen so far is just 1% of what we can do,” Josh teases. “If we make it to the final, we’ll go even bigger and better.”
Their ultimate dream is A Lazy Generation movie. “It might sound crazy, but it’s not out of the question,” Josh says. “A full-length film, an online series—there are massive opportunities ahead.”
But beyond the laughs, there’s heart. If they win Britain’s Got Talent , they plan to donate the prize money to a heart foundation charity in memory of a close friend, Scotty. “We went into this with no intention of winning, just to entertain. But now, who knows? We’re dreaming big.”
