Biography

Originally paired together by their singing coach at school in Chigwell, Essex to perform for their music GCSE exam, the vocal chemistry between Jonathan Antoine and Charlotte Jaconelli was such that they passed with flying colors. So impressed by their rendition of "The Prayer" -- originally performed by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion -- their teacher at West Hatch High School asked them to sing again, this time at her wedding ceremony. Not stopping there, the duo then decided to take things to the next level and try their luck on Simon Cowell's hit talent show Britain’s Got Talent. Having reportedly suffered a breakdown in 2011 after years of bullying due to his weight, Jonathan’s performance at the auditions in early 2012 was particularly poignant, drawing comparisons to Susan Boyle's audition a few years earlier. Cowell joined the rest of the judges in applauding the then-17-year-old’s powerful tenor range, while Charlotte’s pop vocal style complemented him perfectly. Although the pair went on to lose out in the final of the competition to dancing dog act Ashleigh and Pudsey, Jonathan & Charlotte signed a contract with Simon Cowell's Syco label and released their debut album,Together,in September 2012. Produced by Graham Stack (G4, Kylie Minogue), the record featured reworkings of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" ("Ognumo Soffre"), Take That's "Rule the World" ("Il Mondo e Nostro"), and, of course, "The Prayer," which featured Only Boys Aloud. A year later the pair returned with their sophomore effort, 2013's Perhaps Love, which once again saw them reworking a selection of classical and contemporary pop numbers. Whilst in discussions for a third album, the pair split amicably over creative differences and each launched a solo career. ~ Daniel Clancy, Rovi