Bending over backwards for eclectic talent show

Musical contortionist Lucky aims to amaze the audience in tonight’s semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent.

Lucky, real name Leilani Franco, has spent her life being as “flexible as a jellyfish”, to use her parents’ words.

The 25-year-old from Aldgate, London, who has the unusual skill that she can stick her fist in her mouth, joined the Philippine Ballet theatre at 16, and went on to study with the National Circus School of Canada.

The contortionist, who sings and plays guitar, said: “I really had no idea what to expect and I decided to just go for it to see how far I could get. I really want to show Britain a different contortion-circus style and it seemed like a good idea.”

Other acts appearing in the semi-finals of the ITV show are dance troupe Area 51 from Warwickshire, 11-year-old singer Molly Rainford from Essex, xylophone player Ashley Elliot, 17, from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and Dennis Egel, 42, a German window dresser, who sang on the show and delighted the audience in the auditions with his elaborate gold costume.

Also taking part is the Zimmers, described as an “OAP pop band” with 15 members aged between 66 and 68 years old.

They are all competing to appear in Saturday’s final.