FROM FIELD BARN TO BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT: THE PEAK DISTRICT FARMER HITTING THE HIGH NOTES

Tim Robinson

For Tim Robinson, a 46-year-old peak district farmer, a typical day involves the rugged reality of life in the Staffordshire Moorlands—often finding himself ‘wet, cold, and trying to rinse hay seeds’ out of his eyes while tending to his cattle. But recently, Tim swapped the quiet solitude of his field barn for the deafening roar of a national audience, securing an historic Golden Buzzer on the 19th series of Britain’s Got Talent (BGT).

As a member of the Hawkstone Farmers Choir, a collection of 32 farmers and rural professionals, Tim stood on the stage of the Birmingham Hippodrome to perform the soaring Elbow anthem ‘One Day Like This’. The performance moved a unique judging panel led by Amanda Holden, who stepped in as senior judge following an injury to Simon Cowell, alongside guest judge Stacey Solomon, Alesha Dixon, and KSI. “The enormity didn’t really hit me until stood on stage in the theatre in front of the audience and the choir produced such a heartfelt performance,” Tim shared.

Tim’s journey to the spotlight is as unconventional as his audition. Now a tenant farmer in the South West Peak District Tim grew up in Bakewell. He has spent the last five years building a pedigree traditional Hereford cattle suckler herd from scratch. This rare breed is currently on the Rare Breed Survival Trust watchlist, and Tim balances his ‘farming dream’ with his work in nature conservation to fund the enterprise.

His entry into the choir was a secret affair; he filmed his audition tape alone in his field barn, dressed in his everyday farming clothes, singing ‘Jerusalem’ to the only audience he had at the time — his young bull. He was subsequently chosen as one of the initial ten members of the group, which originally formed for a project with Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone brand.

The contrast between his two worlds is not lost on him. “One day I’m cold and wet, rinsing hay seeds out of my eyes….12 hours later, I'm chatting to Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper while waiting to have a microphone fitted and someone is fetching me a coffee and croissant!” Tim remarked.

While the BGT success has been a ‘surreal’ experience, Tim is quick to point out the deeper purpose behind the music. Farming can be a notoriously isolating and stressful industry, although Tim describes his time with his cattle as his ‘therapy’. The choir has provided a vital community for its members, aiming to use their national platform to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention within the agricultural sector.

As Tim prepares for the next stage of the competition and a series of new projects in 2026, he remains focused on the ‘greater good’ of representing the British farming community.

For now, it’s back to the moorlands and his beloved Herefords — though he might find himself singing a little louder in the cow shed this week.

The new series of Britain’s Got Talent continues on ITV1.