Paul Burling is an impressionist who reached the Final of Series 4 of Britain's Got Talent. He was aged 40 and worked as an impressionist at the time of his audition and performed both the Holiday Park Circuit & Clubs. He had also worked in show business as a voice over artist, a radio host or stand in host, and a pantomime performer for twenty five years.
In his audition, he performed impressions of Harry Hill, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo, Popeye The Sailor Man, Elmer Fudd & Bugs Bunny, Dick Dastardly, Bart Simpson, Krusty The Clown, Nelson Muntz, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, and Daffy Duck. Simon commented it was ‘incredible to see what it meant to [him], when [he] got the reaction that [he] wanted from the audience’, with Amanda adding her belief that the Judges had been able to ‘find him’ as prior to his audition he was not well known for performing the Holiday Park Circuit & Clubs.
In the Semi-Finals, he impersonated David Dickinson, an Iceland voiceover, Steve McFadden, a famous actor of some kind, & Alan Carr in a mock version of ‘Harry Hill’s TV Burp’ with the background resembling the set of said show. Piers commented 'If you don't make the Final it'll be a total travesty because you are the best impressionist we've had', with Amanda adding 'I was so worried that you'd actually kind of expired already but there's so much more to you'. He won his Semi-Final and advanced directly onto the Final.
In the Final, he performed impressions of Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Jeremy Clarkson, The Wicked Witch of the West, Peter Kay, Chris Tarrant, Del Boy Trotter & Uncle Albert, Homer & Marge Simpson, Mr Burns and Krusty The Clown to the tune of ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ by The Proclaimers. Piers described him as a 'A very naturally funny guy', with Simon adding 'That was really really a hard act to do because you've got to do those impersonations without saying who they were to the track'. He ultimately concluded the competition in fifth place overall.
After BGT[]
He appeared in Christmas Pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk in 2010, as to which was his fifth pantomime season at the Central Theatre, in Chatham. He has also appeared in pantomimes Aladdin and Peter Pan. He co-starred in Aladdin with Gareth Gates at Milton Keynes Theatre during Christmas 2011.
The following three years he appeared in pantomimes in Southend, Dartford & High Wycombe all with Qdos Pantomimes alongside Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood. He has worked in radio for BBC Radio Kent, Devon and Wales, Pulse FM and Ocean FM and atop of the above is an experienced voice over artist.
He had his own TV show for ITV, entitled It's Paul Burling! which aired in December 2010 to a television audience of 3.7 million viewers. Subsequently, the iPhone 3GS made an app called "Burling's Game Booth". He also appeared in CBBC show The Slammer in 2011. In 2013 he made his feature film debut in The Harry Hill Movie. During 2015 he toured with Joe Pasquale visiting cities and towns throughout southern and eastern England.
Between 2015 and January 2017 he appeared in new Butlins pantomimes known as Aladdin Rocks, which were shown every week and carried on into the 2016 pantomime season at all three parks. Aladdin Rocks ended in January 2017. He did not return for the new Butlins pantomime Whittington Rocks in 2017, and instead went back to Qdos Pantomimes and starred in Peter Pan in Belfast.
Three years later in Mid January 2020 he appeared as a guest on the second episode of the revival of Crackerjack! on CBBC becoming the first BGT Finalist to do so, this was later followed by Twist and Pulse becoming the second in February of the same year, and Flawless the following year.
Trivia[]
- Coincidentally the first two acts to have appeared on the revival of 'Crackerjack!' have been finalists from Series 4.