Meet Britain’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer act Kojo Anim
Comedian Kojo Anim managed to raise a smile from Simon Cowell who awarded him the coveted Golden Buzzer
Britain’s Got Talent 2018 may have seen comedian Lost Voice Guy triumph and win the coveted prize at the Royal Variety Performance, but Simon Cowell isn’t a huge fan of funnymen on the show.
Regularly buzzing comedians off or issuing them with a curt no, it took something really special for TV’s infamous Mr Nasty to give a joker the thumbs up.
Step forward Kojo Anim, whose biting tales about being a dad and broke in London had the audience in stitches – and made Cowell push the all-important buzzer that sent Anim straight through to the semi-finals.
Meet BGT 2019 Golden Buzzer act Kojo Anim
Who is Kojo Anim?
Age: 42
From: London
Instagram: @kojoanimlive
Twitter: @kojoanimlive
Website: www.kojoanim.co.uk
Has Kojo Anim performed on TV before?
Kojo Anim has been a comedian on the circuits for over 20 years, he revealed at the start of his Britain’s Got Talent audition.
His time in the business has seen him amass an impressive list of celebrity contacts – including Alesha Dixon, who recognised him when he first emerged on stage.
Having previously won Best Male Comedian at the Black Entertainment Comedy Awards, Anim was first brought into mainstream consciousness in 2005 when he worked alongside Reggie Yates in CBBC’s The Mighty Truck of Stuff, which saw a literal truckload of toys up for grabs for one lucky caller.
The show’s cult following saw Anim land his own show, titled Kojo’s Comedy Funhouse, on MTV Base.
Anim has also starred on US screens, having worked alongside Nick Cannon for improv comedy show Wild ‘N Out.
“I did a lot of stand-up comedy in London and I used to have my own show on TV,” he said on how he got into American television.
“My manager at MTV was close friends with Mariah Carey, which is how I met Nick.”
He then fronted his own breakfast show on radio station Capital Xtra for four years from 2010.
Back on the comedy circuit, Anim was the warm-up act for Kevin Hart’s Wembley show in 2014, and has toured with Dave Chapelle and performed with Chris Rock.
He then turned his talents to writing a romance novel, titled Above Romance – which was released in 2015 (perhaps inspired by the Fifty Shades of Grey craze).
What did the judges say about Kojo Anim's audition?
The judges were in hysterics over Kojo’s quick-witted routine, made up of everyday observations.
"Your act just got better and better, and in the end, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’d pay to see this man,’” said Amanda Holden.
“I’ve always respected you, but my respect level for you has gone way up there, my friend,” Dixon added. “Let’s see how far you can take it.”
“You are brilliantly funny,” said David Walliams. “You did yourself proud today.”
At first, it seemed Cowell wasn’t going to give Anim a yes, explaining that he felt the comedian’s nerves.
“I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t really like comedians on this show,” he said, to boos from the crowd.
But in true Cowell style, he did a quick U-turn, adding, “But I love you,” before plunging down on the golden buzzer.
A tearful Anim thanked Cowell, who added, “You were so funny and so unpredictable. You had the most amazing energy. This is the break you’ve been waiting for.”
Britain's Got Talent continues Saturday at 8pm on ITV