Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI was left fighting back tears over his dad during the latest semi final after an emotional performance from poet Sonny Green struck a deeply personal chord.
KSI, 32, became visibly upset as Sonny performed a poem called ‘You’ll Never Be Too Old to Get a Cuddle From Your Dad’.
The market trader wrote the heartfelt piece as a letter to his two young sons.
At the end of the performance, Sonny’s boys joined him on stage for a cuddle with their father.
Viewers were stunned to see KSI close to sobbing during the powerful audition.
The judge then shared an emotional admission about his own relationship with his dad and promised to “be a better son” during the live ITV show.
Soon after, Simon Cowell pressed the Golden Buzzer for Sonny.
KSI in tears over Britain’s Got Talent’s Sonny Green
Sonny’s semi final performance left the judging panel emotional from start to finish.
Amanda Holden was also seen in tears as Sonny recited the touching words: “Buy your mum some flowers, open the door open for strangers and do your best to soak up the stress and smile. Even when you ‘ain’t got much left.”
During the poem, Sonny repeatedly told his sons: “You’ll never be too old to get a cuddle from your dad.”
“Pride comes before a fall, so be humble. But never forget who you are,” he also said.
The emotional performance ended with Sonny embracing his two young boys in front of the judges.
When it came time for feedback, KSI struggled to speak as he wiped away tears.
After gathering himself, he admitted: “Sonny, that just… it really hit me. I know my relationship with my dad isn’t always the best so hearing those words makes me really think about what I need to improve on.
“You’re great, I know I need to do better as a son. It really hit me.”
Alesha Dixon later told Sonny that his performance had “affected her deeply”. Amanda revealed she planned to frame the poem for her teenage daughter’s wall.
Simon added: “You could hear a pin drop. Genuinely. I could see how emotional you were getting. I’m a dad and Sonny, all I can say is, you are gold.”
He then pressed the Golden Buzzer, sending Sonny straight through to the 2026 Britain’s Got Talent final.
Who is KSI’s dad?
KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams ‘JJ’ Olatunji, previously opened up about his difficult relationship with his father in his 2023 documentary, KSI: In Real Life.
During the Amazon Prime documentary, he confronted his dad about what he described as a \loveless childhood’.
“I don’t think you were that loving”, KSI told him. “Your dad never hugged you, and then you hardly ever hugged us.”
KSI also questioned his father about being hit as a child. While he praised his parents for supporting him and paying for private school, he admitted he simply wanted more affection growing up.
He later told The Standard: “My [parents] were always just working or they were dropping me off in school and picking me up and we’d just eat and then I’d be doing homework. We never really talked, and I was desperate to talk.”
The YouTube star eventually shared a hug with his dad at the end of the documentary conversation. However, he later admitted the moment felt unusual for him.
“It felt so weird,” KSI explained.
“My dad is very standoffish, so to get a hug like that, it was really a moment.”