Dorset guitar teacher through next round of America's Got Talent

A guitar teacher from Dorset is through to the live shows on America's Got Talent after impressing Simon Cowell and the other judges.

John Wines is usually busy teaching students at The Bourne Academy in Bournemouth.

The 59-year-old said he decided to apply to encourage one of his students who struggles with performance nerves.

He said: "I'm so happy! The phrase 'I'm doing things I could never have dreamed of' has never been so apt."

Mr Wines got through to the judges' deliberations phase after performing the Queen anthem We Will Rock You in his original audition.

He will now perform live in the next stage of the competition that takes place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Tuesday 22 August.

Mr Wines stumbled upon an America's Got Talent application and decided to enter shortly after talking to 16-year-old student Maya.

He explained: "I've never known anyone so nervous about an upcoming concert and I tried to obviously say: 'Look, you'll be OK don't worry, I've seen this face a 1,000 times before'.

"But she said: 'Well it's alright for you sir, you don't get nervous anymore'.

"They say you should always put yourself in the shoes of your students in all fairness, so that's what I did."

He almost missed his first audition as the original invite was left in his junk folder for two days and was only found by chance.

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