George Sampson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Sampson
Sampson in July 2009
Born	(1993-06-29) 29 June 1993 (age 32) Warrington, Cheshire, England
Occupation	Dancer • presenter • actor
Years active	2007–present

George William Sampson is a famous English dancer, television presenter, singer, and actor. He became well-known after winning the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008. He was only 14 years old at the time. George is also an official ambassador for the United Dance Organisation, which promotes street dance.

George Sampson: Dancer, Actor, and Star

Early Career and Britain's Got Talent

First Audition (2007)

In 2007, George's dance teacher told him about auditions for a TV show. George soon found out it was for the first series of Britain's Got Talent. He danced to a song called "Drop" and all three judges said yes!

However, two of the judges, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, didn't let him go to the live semi-finals. This made George even more determined. He wanted to prove them wrong. He kept dancing on the streets of Manchester to get better and to help his family.

Winning Britain's Got Talent (2008)

George returned to Britain's Got Talent in 2008. He successfully passed the first round by dancing to "Rock This Party." In the semi-final, he performed a special dance to a remix of "Singin' in the Rain." This performance included an amazing artificial rain machine on stage!

The audience loved his act and voted him into the final. In the final, George decided to perform his popular rain dance again. He won the audience's vote, beating other talented acts. After his win, the "Singin' in the Rain" song became very popular in the UK.

Life After Winning

After winning Britain's Got Talent, George Sampson became very busy. On 20 July 2008, he was a guest at the T4 on the Beach music festival. He even taught the presenters some dance moves!

Later that year, George made his stage debut in a West End hip-hop musical called Into the Hoods. He appeared in the show for about a month. He played one of the "lost boys" in the musical.

George also worked with Simon Cowell's record company and Bebo to create an online TV show. It was called Follow My Lead. The show featured dance tutorials and behind-the-scenes looks at events.

In November 2008, George released his first single. It was a double song called "Get Up on the Dance Floor/Headz Up." The money raised from the single went to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital. His dance DVD, Access 2 All Areas, was released in December 2008. It included a documentary, music videos, and dance lessons.

George continued to promote new products and events. He helped launch a new Nokia phone and a game called Battle Strikers. He also hosted a 'Street Dance Weekend' at the Alton Towers Resort. He was a guest star at the Britain's Got Talent semi-final in 2009. George also became a Patron of Dance Aid, a charity that helps children.

In September 2009, George starred in the first all-British 3D movie, StreetDance 3D. He played a character named Eddie. He appeared alongside other famous dance groups like Diversity and Flawless.

George also took part in the CBBC Newsround special Whose Side Are You On?. This was part of the BBC's campaign against bullying. George bravely shared his own experiences of being bullied when he was younger.

More recently, in January 2019, George appeared on Celebrity Coach Trip. In September 2019, he returned to Britain's Got Talent as a contestant in Britain's Got Talent: The Champions.

Acting Roles

George Sampson has had a successful acting career in TV shows and movies.

On 2 February 2011, George joined the cast of the BBC drama series Waterloo Road. He played a 17-year-old student named Kyle Stack. He returned to the show in 2013. His character, Kyle Stack, was involved in a serious storyline where a teacher, Tom Clarkson, sadly passed away while trying to help Kyle on the school roof.

In 2012, he joined the cast of Mount Pleasant. He also starred in the movie StreetDance 2, reprising his role as Eddie. George has also appeared in the TV show Friday Download. He played the lead role of Peter Pan in a pantomime in Derby.

George continued acting in shows like The Dumping Ground on CBBC in 2014. He also appeared in season four of Mount Pleasant.

In 2016, George joined the cast of Emmerdale. He played a character named Ryan Harred in several episodes.

He has also performed in many theatre productions. In 2018, he played Reecey in the musical Our House. He has also played Dean in Everybody's Talking About Jamie in the UK, West End, and Los Angeles. As of 2024, he performed in the Easter Panto Tour of Robin Hood. He has been in 9 other pantomimes too!

George's Works

George Sampson has released music, appeared in many TV shows, performed in theatre, and starred in movies.

Music

Television Shows

Theatre Performances

DVDs

Movies

Personal Life and Health

George has a condition called Scheuermann's disease. This condition can affect the developing bones in children and teenagers. It can sometimes cause an abnormal curve in the spine.

However, George has said that his condition is "not that bad." His doctor has confirmed that he is allowed to continue dancing. George is very determined and loves to dance! He once said, "There's no way I'd ever give up dancing. Nothing would stop me."

George is also a fan of the game RuneScape. He was even invited to Jagex, the company that makes the game. There, he recorded a special dance move for the game!

Awards and Recognition

George Sampson has received several awards for his talent.

In 2007, he won the under-16 category in the United Dance Organisation's World Street Dance championships. After winning Britain's Got Talent, he returned to the championships in 2008. He performed with his dance group A2AA and received an award for helping to make street dance more popular.

In the summer of 2008, George was one of 11 celebrities to receive an honorary scout badge. This was to celebrate the 101st birthday of the Scouting Movement.

He also won an award for 'Favourite Winner' at the 2008 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. He performed his famous "Singin' in the Rain" dance at the event.