Simon Cowell's repeatedly said that he wants to find the ultimate dog act and now he has. For the first time in the history of the show Britain's Got Talent has been won by a pooch.
Meet Pudsey and his owner Ashleigh Butler:
The duo scooped the BGT title on Saturday night in an overwhelming victory against the show's human contenders.
As far as I know it's the first time a dog's won the series in any version round the world and the pair are such a hit in the UK they've been everywhere this week. They've appeared on breakfast and talk shows, they'll be guesting on Big Brother and they've even had the misfortune of dancing the congo with Kim Kar'trashian:
Screengrab from a story about their 'trashy moment by
The Sun.
Even though the tabloids can't hack Pudsey's phone they're obsessed with him, paparazzi'ing him in compromising positions in between rehearsals:
There's nothing gimmicky about their win because they're genuinely the bomb and their story's perfectly endearing. Ashleigh, who's 17, got Pudsey when she was nine and they've been inseperable ever since.
Her parents gave him to her as a present, he arrived in a box, poked his head out at her and next thing they were soul mates for life. They're also 500 000 pounds richer. The BGT prize money doubled this season so they've landed a major haul and will no doubt make loads more.
The latest news is that they're planning on hitting Hollywood and with Simon behind them I'm sure they will. As you'll see when you watch the vids Ashleigh's a star too - she's a dog whisperer of note and has a natural skill when it comes to showmanship and a sense of the dramatic.
She conceptualised their routines and choreographed them so I imagine she'll go on to become a showbiz trainer while Pudsey signs his pawtograph for fans.
Here are links to two of their performances from the show, from the semi-finals and then the finale - both videos open in a new window. They include intro's with more about their relationship with each other and Simon. Enjoy! ...
Ashleigh and Pudsey Semi-Final Performance.
Ashleigh and Pudsey Final Performance.