The Tragic Death of 'Got Talent' Singer Emma Jones

Britain's Got Talent viewers have mourned the loss of Emma Jones, a talented vocalist who left an impression during her memorable appearance on the show in 2015. Jones, who surprised judges and audiences with her rendition of "Ave Maria," died at the age of 32. Despite her death occurring on Valentine's Day, the news only broke in many British media outlets on June 2.

The news of Jones' passing was shared via an announcement on her official Facebook page . The statement revealed the tragic circumstances of her death: "I'm sorry to have to tell you that Emma Jones has died. She died on Valentines Day after being diagnosed with multiple organ cancer. The doctor thinks it began as ovarian cancer and spread to other organs. She died peacefully in the cumberland infirmary. Sorely and sadly missed by all who knew her."

Jones' journey to stardom began when she stepped onto the Britain's Got Talent stage as a 23-year-old. Her initial audition, where she performed the classical piece "Ave Maria," left an impact on both the judges and the audience. The performance has since received nearly five million views on YouTube .

Judge Amanda Holden summed up the sentiment in the room nicely: "Beautiful." Fellow judge David Walliams, recognizing Jones' apparent nervousness, offered words of encouragement: "You should be confident, Emma, you have a fantastic voice. Very few of us could sing like that and you should come out and sing like a winner because that's what you are."

Per The Standard , the significance of that moment was not lost on Jones, who later described her audition as "the best day in my whole, entire life." Her journey on the show continued to the semi-finals, where she delivered another impressive performance , this time of Sarah Brightman's "Pie Jesu," accompanied by a guitar quartet. Her growing confidence was evident, with judge Alesha Dixon noting, "It's so lovely to see you coming out of your shell," and Simon Cowell adding, "It was fantastic."

Despite her talent, Jones' path was not without its challenges. In a pre-performance video, she openly discussed her struggles with confidence and her discomfort with solitude, sharing, "I live on my own. I don't like it as such, well, I hate it actually. Growing up I wasn't confident at all. My first audition was so nerve-wracking."

John Hastings, Jones' former partner, provided a touching tribute during a memorial service held at Allonby's Christ Church on May 1. According to The Cumberland News, he reminisced about the moment he first encountered Jones busking outside Barclays in Carlisle in 2013 and spoke of the pride he felt watching her overcome her nerves on national television.

"Like everyone else in Cumbria, I was both proud and touched by her exploits on Britain's Got Talent, when she overcame her nerves to wow the judges and viewers - the applause made her cry, but I knew these were good tears," Hastings recalled. He added, "It's a great shame that we will never see her again, but we still have her performances online to cherish and fondly remember her by."