Josh Hennes’ ‘magical boyband’ miss out on winning BGT final
The 17-year-old JCOSS pupil is basking in national sunlight after making it to the final
“In the Jewish community, people know me as the young magician who does all the barmitzvas and events,” Josh Hennes told Jewish News.
But the JCOSS pupil, whose stage name is Josh Horus, is now basking in the national limelight after his magic group 4MG competed in Sunday’s live finals.
The teen magic group missed out on winning the talent show after pensioner Colin Thackery took home £250,000 with a rendition of “Love Changes Everything”.
Hennes’ all-male act, described by David Walliams as “the boyband of magic,” features Josh, alongside James Samuel, Harry Nardi and Theo Mallalieu.
Josh said he has practised magic tricks since the age of seven. “What I love about magic is the reaction you get. Some of the reactions we get are just beyond belief. You get to connect with a person so well.”
The teens were brought together by their shared love of magic via the Magic Shop in Ashford, which is owned by Harry’s father.
“Theo also worked there as a video editor,” Josh explained, “and James and I were simply customers in that shop. We kind of linked and we just thought why not give it a go? In magic, a boy-band of magic has never been seen before. ”
Since appearing on Britain’s Got Talent, the 17-year-old magician has attracted media coverage and even praise from singer and judge Alesha Dixon.
“Ant and Dec, we got to chill out with them for a little bit. They’re very nice guys,” Josh revealed. “Alesha came back stage afterwards and complimented us on our act, and David Walliams also gave us a couple of motivational speeches.”
Among the other celebrities cited by Josh is Uri Geller, the unlikely Israeli-British illusionist and self-proclaimed psychic.
Josh explains he was in Israel last week, where some of his family are based, and had coffee with the magician. “He’s a very good friend of mine,” he said. “He’s a publicity genius and gives me a lot of advice, support and so on.”
After Britain’s Got Talent, Josh hopes to go on tour with 4MG. “We’re hoping to take this all the way,” Josh said. “We’d love to do a tour around the UK and potentially around the world, and we’d love a Netflix series.”
How does he juggle his burgeoning career with school? When asked whether he still attends school, Josh joked: “That’s a good point,” prompting his team-mates to erupt in laughter.
“I think I’m on holiday at the moment but I am not 100 percent sure,” he joked, later clarifying that this week is half-term.
“But the teachers have actually been so supportive and I really appreciate it,” he added.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
