Britain's Got Talent Star Paul Nunnari Opens Up About Inspirational Journey
Paul Nunnari, the Australian aerialist who earned Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer on Britain's Got Talent, has shared the deeply personal motivation behind his breathtaking performance. The 53-year-old former Paralympian became an instant frontrunner in the latest ITV series after astonishing judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and KSI during Saturday night's auditions.
A Display of Strength and Defiance
In a remarkable demonstration of physical prowess, Nunnari climbed a silk rope, attached the material to his neck, and spun high above the stage while blindfolded—using only his arms for support. What made the performance particularly extraordinary was that the aerialist executed the entire routine from his wheelchair, lifting and sustaining his body weight as he soared through the air.
In an exclusive interview, Nunnari revealed how a childhood road trauma at age eleven resulted in a life-changing spinal cord injury, though he has never allowed this to define his capabilities or ambitions. "I was injured through a road trauma when I was quite young," he explained. "When I was in hospital, the two things I wanted to do were learn to do wheelies and to chase nurses. The chair wasn't a deficit to me—it was the complete opposite."
Challenging Perceptions Through Performance
Nunnari emphasized that his wheelchair has never been a barrier, but rather a different way of approaching life's challenges. "I have always lived my life as a wheelchair user, not thinking about what I can't do in the chair but thinking about how I can do it in the chair but differently," he stated. "The chair has never been a barrier to do anything. That was definitely the motivator."
The performer stressed his desire to be judged on ability rather than disability. "I never want to be judged based on my disability. I want to be judged based on my performance. So, it's vitally important that I perform at a high level, so that's my focus," Nunnari declared. "It's most enjoyable once I finish the performance and know I have nailed it. Hand on my heart, when I climb down from that silk, I take the blindfold off and look at the judges and crowd, I know in my heart that I have nailed it and that's what matters most to me."
Addressing Societal Barriers
Through his meticulously rehearsed act, Nunnari aims to demonstrate that having a disability does not limit potential. He explained that people often underestimate him because of his wheelchair—a perception he considers entirely irrelevant to his capabilities.
"When you talk about the way you have been injured or why you're a wheelchair user, it evokes a very sympathetic response," Nunnari observed. "People with disabilities have very low expectations put on them and I think it should be the opposite. We should give people with disabilities an equable and dignified starting moment as everybody else and have high expectations of them."
He continued: "I feel like people are content for me to do the pat on the shoulder and say 'I did my best' because I'm in a chair—but I don't ever want to feel like that. It's obvious I use a wheelchair and I have a spinal cord injury; I use a wheelchair fulltime and live my life in a chair but it's almost like asking a person the colour of their eyes or hair. It doesn't really matter. I try to let my performance speak for itself and change attitudes through those three minutes."
From Australian to British Talent Shows
Nunnari previously reached the final of Australia's Got Talent in 2013 and now hopes to achieve even greater success on the British version. He describes his act as intentionally "risky" to highlight the real challenges faced by people with disabilities.
"Having a disability is not a barrier; physical barriers, communication barriers, and attitude barriers are what prevent people with disabilities from being able to reach their true potentials," Nunnari asserted. "I do everything I can every day to address or confront or call out those types of barriers and in some ways, I try to let my performance address those perceptions around disability."
He posed challenging questions: "If someone in a chair can do this, then why can't we employ someone with a disability? Why can't we include a young person in a mainstream class in schools or why can't we include someone who's deaf or blind or low vision in a football game?"
A Full Circle Moment with Royal Aspirations
The Paralympic silver medalist from the 2000 Sydney Olympics revealed a special connection to British royalty that adds significance to his BGT journey. Nunnari met King Charles in 1989 when the monarch presented him with a trophy for winning the Royal Rehab Oz Day 10K wheelchair race.
"With Australia's Got Talent—it was an amazing experience, and I say this respectfully to the show, Britain's Got Talent is the pinnacle, that I aspired to get to," Nunnari explained. "I made it to the grand final round, so for me being able to compete on BGT is another wonderful experience and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don't take it for granted."
He added: "I met King Charles in 1989 when he started a wheelchair race that I was competing in, and I won in Sydney—there's history there. I was 18, and he presented me with my trophy for winning the junior division of the Oz 10K. It goes throughout the Rock and happens every year on January 26, which is Australia Day. It would be awesome to come full circle and perform in front of him. Forget about the money—it's about performing in front of the King."
Nunnari concluded with determination: "I want to win the competition. I know I can do a performance that's worthy of winning, but I am competing against amazing performers as well. I want to give myself every opportunity to win the show, and I will perform my absolute 110 per cent to do that."
Britain's Got Talent continues Saturday at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV, with Nunnari's journey representing both extraordinary talent and a powerful message about disability inclusion.
