BRITAIN'S Got Talent's Colin Thackeray dreams of performing in front of the Royal Family, after serving the Queen in the military for 25 years.
The Chelsea pensioner – who served in the army for almost three decades – would love nothing more than to win the ITV talent show and entertain Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Performance, which the winner of the show is guaranteed to perform at.
Speaking to the Mirror Online, Colin's son Peter said: "Dad joined the Army so young and is one of the few boy soldiers left alive from that period. Performing for royalty would mean so much to him. He says how it would be just wonderful singing for them.
“The Army was very good to my dad and he loves the Army. He had a difficult East End background – money was tight, it was wartime and he didn’t have the best education. The Army was mother, father and sister to him.”
But if Colin isn't crowned winner he will still meet with royalty as he will take part in the Royal Hospital's Founder's Day parade on Thursday, which will see a member of the Royal Family inspect the comrades.
Colin stole the nation's hearts when he performed the classics Wind Beneath My Wings in the early stages of the competition dressed in his red uniform, showcasing his medals.
But his most recent performance tugged on viewers heartstrings as he sang Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again, while images of him with his late wife Joan – who died from breast cancer in 2016 – were shown on screens behind him.
For the tribute Colin was accompanied by a choir of Chelsea Pensioners, and saw his chances of being crowned champion soar to 4 to 6 from betting company Coral.
Peter continued: "It’s bittersweet. It’s tough because it wasn’t that long ago we lost Mum. But it’s also very sweet hearing Dad talk about how he feels about her.
“She is one of the reasons he is at the Royal Hospital. He always joked he would go there if Mum went first – never thinking that would happen because she had fantastic health up until the point she got cancer.”
Although judges and audiences have been blown away with Colin's performances, his son has insisted he was "brilliant" when he was younger.
He added: "My father’s voice is good now – back in the day it was brilliant.”
Peter has hailed the army for bringing his father's talent to light, as when Colin was in the Royal Artillery's 45th Regiment the soldiers were told to get involved with music.
He explained: "All boy soldiers were taught to play an instrument in training. Dad learned the bugle and drum, then started singing along and got involved in bands.”
Colin – who battled with frostbite while in Korea, and now suffers from lymphedema as a result – has the full support of his family, who have no doubts their relative will be crowned BGT's 2019 winner, although he feared the long days rehearsing would take their toll on his parent.
Peter said: "They’ve been rehearsing for weeks and I think he could win. It would be lovely if the public got behind him.”
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