The judges of Britain’s Got Talent were left speechless as a choir shared that their formation was born out of the trauma caused by the Post Office scandal.
In tonight’s episode, judges Bruno Tonioli, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon witnessed Hear Our Voice perform for the first time.
As they took the stage in Blackpool, the choir’s leader, Tim, explained to Simon that each member had been personally affected by the controversy surrounding the national organization.
Tim shared, “We only come together when we’re going through tough times, and we wanted to create something that brought us joy.”
Reacting to the scandal, Simon Cowell remarked, “What happened was shocking, and I really hope you win this battle because the way you were treated was disgusting—seriously, disgusting.”
Jess, another member of the choir, added, “We’re just a big family that has come together to let our voices be heard and show the world that we’re going to get through this fight.”
“And win,” Simon added.
The Post Office scandal, also known as the Horizon scandal, is considered one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in the UK.
Over 700 subpostmasters were wrongfully convicted after faulty Fujitsu software incorrectly flagged financial shortfalls in their accounts.
As a result, 236 postmasters and postmistresses were sent to prison, leading to bankruptcies and at least four suicides.
Between 1999 and 2015, many were wrongly accused of fraud, theft, and false accounting due to defects in the Horizon IT system. Developed by Fujitsu, the system falsely displayed financial discrepancies, causing wrongful prosecutions, job losses, and imprisonments.
Some victims lost their homes, livelihoods, and reputations, with a few tragically taking their own lives.
Despite years of campaigning, it wasn’t until 2021 that the Court of Appeal overturned numerous wrongful convictions.
The government has since introduced compensation schemes and a public inquiry to investigate the scandal.
The controversy has sparked demands for accountability, especially for Post Office executives and Fujitsu.
It remains one of the most significant issues in British legal and corporate history.