Jeremy Clarkson with members of the Hawkstone Farmers Choir in the original adverte
Members of Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone Farmers Choir are tuning up ahead of their appearance on tonight's Britain's Got Talent.
The 30+ group, who initially formed as part of a social media advert for the Clarkson's 51AV视频star's Hawkstone beer range, have remained together and gone on to form a fully-fledged choir under the musical directorship of Simon Gwilliam and Lizzy Dean.
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Ben Brooke, an arable farmer from March in Cambridgeshire, said before signing on for the original commercial he was basically just a 鈥榗ar singer', accompanying his seven-year-old daughter on the latest pop hits.
"The first part was a video audition," Mr Brooke said. "I basically sang the National Anthem. I had to send my wife out of the room as I was too scared to do it in front of her."
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Mr Booke said members of the choir, which is drawn from across the UK, bonded from the outset and it quickly became apparent it was more than just about singing for a light-hearted beer commercial.
"I have never been in a choir before," Mr Brooke said. "It was not considered cool at school. But after the first big rehearsal day we immediately realised how beneficial being part of something like this could be. Everyone really bonded. "
'We all understand farming'
Fellow singer Katryna Shell, a mixed tenant farmer from Northumberland, said despite only being together for a few months, the choir already 鈥榝eels like a family'.
"We have a WhatsApp group and every day there are so many messages - there are pictures mostly about the weather, although lambing I think has taken over at the moment.
"It is a clich茅 but we are like a family. We are all farmers and we all understand farming. It is not like other friend groups where some people may not be farmers and not quite get what you are talking about. In this one we do not have to explain ourselves or what we are having to do as everyone just gets it."
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Mr Brooke added: "Other people need to know what farmers and farming are about. It is a stressful job. But being together in something like this has become really important to me, really quickly."
Both members said while singing is very much out of their 鈥榗omfort zones', the choir has made them realise how important it is to be part of a collective.
Time away from the farm
Ms Shell said: "I would encourage everyone to join something outside of working on the farm - it does not have to be singing - but just something that gets you out and off the farm for a bit, painting or walking or meeting up with a friend.
"Just something that lets you talk about how you are feeling. If we can encourage others in the farming industry to take a few simple steps, which I know can feel like a massive hill at the time, then we feel like we have done our job.
"Britain's Got Talent has enabled us to put agriculture centre stage in front of the nation."
Although Ms Shell and Mr Brooke remained tight-lipped about the choir's performance and the result, they both said they were determined to carry on with singing.
Mr Brooke said: "Britain's Got Talent has been great fun but it is not the goal. I am 100% going to keep singing whatever happens."
You can catch Ben and Katryna and the Hawkstone Farmers Choir on Britain's Got Talent on ITV1, March 21 at 6.45pm
