Moments before Matty J received a roaring standing ovation and earned the highly coveted Britain’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer, he shared, “I have been waiting for this chance to finally put an end to this long thing that I’ve been thinking of about myself that I will always be a singing competition loser.” I found it difficult to reconcile that admission with the confidence radiated by the 27-year-old Filipino through his unfiltered banter with the BGT Series 19 judges and his “Purple Rain” performance.
Idol Philippines and Early Career Breakthrough
In 2019, Matty (then going by Matty Juniosa) competed in Idol Philippines but only made it as far as the top 12. Getting eliminated left him feeling low for a while. Further efforts to establish himself as a performer, particularly as a member of the vocal trio iDolls, did not yield the response he was hoping for. He was told he was not relatable. He faced comments about his weight and appearance. He drew flak for speaking mostly in English. He felt misinterpreted and misunderstood. “I got very disappointed with how the world perceived me… everything that people said about me, I believed for a second,” he recalls during our video call. So he molded himself into what people wanted him to be. He played small and held back on expressing his artistic ideas. It came to a point where he could not recognize himself anymore.
Matty J and Nana Nadal
Reclaiming Himself
Then the opportunity to leave came, so he took it. He flew to Glasgow more than three years ago to study Musical Theatre at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on a partial scholarship. “I feel completely different now, I’m a new person,” he declares. Looking back at the Matty built around expectations, he carries no bitterness. “I love that version of me too because he knew that he needed to do what he needed to do to survive there. So I applaud that version of me too because he was willing to do what it takes just to get to the other side of it,” he muses.
He has apparently done a lot of introspection and healing. Still, I wondered whether he has shaken off the loser’s self-image. Does he have to become champion of BGT to do that? “I think whether I win or not, I think I’ve already let it go… I used to see and I used to think that success is only called success if the numbers are talking, if I’m on the biggest show on ABS-CBN, or if I’m the top rated singer on ASAP or whatever. But work is work. You can’t categorize these projects or these opportunities as one is less than the other. As long as I’m singing and as long as I’m getting paid for it, I’m a winner because I’m one of the few lucky ones who get to do this for a living…I really wanna win. Don’t get me wrong. But I feel like I’ve won enough now that I’ve proven to myself that nothing is impossible. I come from halfway across the world. Coming here into a foreign land and being loved this much, I don’t think a title can ever equal that,” he elaborates.
Road to Britain’s Got Talent
While he was very familiar with Britain’s Got Talent, joining the show was not exactly part of his plans. It was BGT that made the first move. They reached out to invite him to audition three times. They came across videos of Matty singing in karaoke bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh. “I would go up on stage, like I’m a man, completely bearded, wearing my waiter uniform, and then my song choice would be like ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ then I would belt my ass off. It’d be a really funny experience because people wouldn’t have their phones out in the beginning, not expecting much, and then as soon as I sing, everyone just has their phone out and then I get a standing O at the end of it. It’s bizarre that I get standing O’s in karaoke bars,” he laughs as he describes the videos and how they ended up on social media.
The first call from BGT came in his first year in the UK. “I was really flattered, it was really nice that it was just my first year here, and I’m already getting some kind of recognition or that my talent has already been categorized to be worthy of that.” But it was not until he graduated and sorted out his graduate visa that he was able to say yes to their invitation. “They did technically find me but I still did the process, I did the pitching for who I am and all that stuff,” he clarifies.
This happened around August 2025. His audition, where he received the Golden Buzzer, was taped in October but only aired in March 2026. For five months, he had to keep it under wraps and continued to grind as a part-time waiter and as a musical theatre performer. He played Lola in Kinky Boots, Clopin in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Sonja in Oscar At The Crown. “I just kept working and while I was juggling those jobs, I was keeping a secret. It was the hardest thing in the world,” he enthuses.
Matty J stunned with Purple Rain on Britain’s Got Talent Series 19 (Photo from Matty J)
Navigating Struggles
That was hard but thrilling. Other things he had to face were simply hard, like watching his expenses and juggling his to-dos. Then there is the issue of racism. “As a person of color, you don’t walk around these spaces thinking that you’re always safe,” he underscores. Being far from home, loneliness is a given. “Over the years, I understood that loneliness was part of the journey.” When the going gets tough, his optimism and love for life prevail. “I don’t think anyone can ever dim my joyful self. I love life in general. I’m so privileged to even breathe every day, to get to experience this earth.” Upon leaving the Philippines, his grandfather sent him off with words of wisdom to be courageous. He appreciated the advice, as he has had to muster courage daily from the day he touched down in the UK.
His strength faltered a bit when he received news of the passing of his grandmother Lisa and his dog RB. “I wanted to leave, I wanted to go back home. I was thinking to myself, what is all this for if my family is not complete?” he reveals. Despite the heartbreak, he decided to stay put and keep going. “Like my grandfather said, I had to be courageous. And the most courageous thing for me to do was to never give up.”
Destined for the International Stage
There was work to do and goals to pursue. Among the dreams Matty enumerated on the Britain’s Got Talent stage during his audition was to conquer the world. He delivered it with a hint of humor, but maybe that has been the direction all along.
“I wouldn’t say it was always the plan, but it almost felt like a destiny… I’ve always had this yearning ever since I was a child that I wanna be one of those big stars. I grew up watching Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Beyoncé, all those big names, and I’ve always wanted to be up there. There’s always been this dream,” he discloses, slightly embarrassed and admitting it was just his imagination. But what struck me was how he didn’t just stop at imagining, he actually did something about it.
“Since I was a child, I’ve been training my communication skills, the way I talk, I’ve been building myself up to become someone that when I was younger, I can look up to. And that someone has always felt international. I don’t know how to say it without sounding cuckoo, but it’s always felt like, oh, yes, sister, do your big thing on the big stage of the big world! That kind of thing. I’ve always just curated my life to hopefully be worthy of that,” he explains.
Even his degree from De La Salle University appears to be an indication. He took up International Studies. He wasn’t really keen on it, but his mother discouraged him from pursuing the arts, worrying that getting an education on his hobby would make him a one-trick pony and not enable him to make money. When Matty started losing steam in his academics, he had a little conversation with God. “He was like, in my head, ‘I’m preparing you for the world, which is why you have to know about the world.’” After that instance, everything else he did, he consulted with the Lord. “It always makes sense so I just trust it. Wherever I’m being led to, even if it doesn’t make sense at the moment, I know eventually, it will,” he states.
Photo from Matty J
Making it Happen
And true enough, after all the twists and turns, things are falling into place. The BGT live semi-finals are just around the corner, and he’s also gearing up for a role he recently clinched in a big production in the West End. He recently attended the Olivier Awards and came face-to-face with the biggest artists he has long admired. “I think I’m still a little overwhelmed by how much everything has changed. I’m still trying to mentally calm myself down and just be like, okay, this is just another day at work. All you’re expected to do is to deliver the work.”
He’s anticipating several hectic months ahead. Despite the pressure, he’s keeping calm and carrying on, showing he’s every bit a winner.
Stay up to date on Matty J at @itsmemattyj on Instagram and Matty Juniosa on Facebook.
