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BGT post office singer '50% gutted, 50% grateful'

Martin Heath & Annabel Amos
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Whittingham Marketing & Consultancy Group of singers in a selfie - there is a man with a brown beard wearing a white woolly hat in the bottom left, and other people of various ages in the background posing for the camera. The Britain's Got Talent logo and a star symbol form the backdrop.Whittingham Marketing & Consultancy
The Hear Our Voice choir performed Gigantic by Wills and the People

A postmaster who sings with a choir of people affected by the Post Office scandal said he was "50% gutted and 50% grateful" after failing to win the final of Britain's Got Talent.

Chris Attridge, who runs a branch in Crick, Northamptonshire, took to the stage with 40 other singers in the Hear Our Voice ensemble.

Their rendition of Gigantic by Wills and the People saw them finish seventh while magician Harry Moulding took first place.

Mr Attridge said he was "grateful for being given the chance" to perform on the show.

Annabel Amos/BBC Chris Attridge with short white hair and glasses looking at the camera. His post office is behind him, with several posters in the window and a poster saying "pay cash and cheques into your bank account". The reflection of a white van can be seen in the window.Annabel Amos/BBC
Chris Attridge said he was grateful for the opportunity to get the choir's message across

The choir was set up for victims of the Post Office scandal and their families.

More than 900 postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system.

Their choir was favourite to win going into the final and the village of Crick had given their support to Hear Our Voice with posters and bunting on display.

There was even a rumour that a concert in Crick church was paused on the night so the audience could vote for the choir.

Zoe Millard The outside of a pub, with 'The Wheatsheaf' written in gold lettering on a board above the entrance. There are blue parasols outside the pub, and a hedge. In the foreground are red, white and blue bunting and a blue poster telling people to 'Vote for Hear Our Voice Choir'Zoe Millard
Villagers in Crick put bunting out for the final to support their postmaster

Mr Attridge said the final result left the choir "50% gutted and 50% grateful" and added: "If you'd have said to me when I joined the choir that we were going to be going on Britain's Got Talent as finalists and as favourites, who would have thought that?

"We've got to be grateful for the support, grateful for being able to get our message out there".

Zoe Millard Upper floor of a house, showing a white-framed window with union jack flags around a banner saying "Good Luck Chris". There are solar panels mounted on the roof to the right.Zoe Millard
Chris Attridge said he was very grateful for the support from the village

Mr Attridge was the only serving sub-postmaster in the choir and said: "At times, I felt like a bit of an imposter [in the choir].

"It's been so horrific and so terrible what they've been through.

"I'm one of them and they've accepted me which is great, but I haven't had the problems they have and the problems I did have have all been sorted."

He added that he was "overwhelmed by the support" from the village of Crick said the world had not "heard the last" of Hear Our Voice.

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