5 Dads in Knitted Sweaters Onstage Still Got Groove, Shock Judge Simon on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

(Getty Images | Tim P. Whitby)

When five over-the-hill men in gray slacks and knitted sweaters walked onto the “Britain’s Got Talent” stage, the judges raised their eyebrows. But far from triggering widespread mockery, “Old Men Grooving” brought the house down, proving they still got groove.

Their audition played out at the Dominion Theatre in London and was one of the most surprising auditions the show saw in its ninth season.

An IT manager and two school teachers fronted the group. Upon introducing themselves, the five men were met by looks of doubt from audience members. Judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Walliams wished the men good luck and sat back to watch the spectacle unfold.

“Imagine being their kids,” a member of the audience joked, as caught by a studio microphone.

The five men move into their starting poses in the center of the stage, the lights dim, and the music starts. The audience has no idea what’s about to happen.

Jazz anthem “I Won’t Dance” fills the auditorium, and judge Simon gives a look of profound dissatisfaction, as one of the members of the group skips lithely into a soft shoe jazz routine—but it’s all a ruse; suddenly, the sound of a record scratching transforms the track into old-school hip-hop beats, and the dads are in full, synchronized group groove!

The group launches into a mashup of hip-hop, funk, and old-school break dance to classics like James Brown’s “Sexmachine” and Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache (Jump On It).” The five men showcase dance moves that many people from younger generations would be proud of. One member even shows off some break-dancing moves.

The audience leap to their feet and cheer their way through the set. Old Men Grooving finish the performance with a triumphant end pose.

“Woah!” Simon gasps, as all four judges and the entire auditorium cheer on the surprising quintet with a standing ovation.

Footage of the their audition was shared on YouTube in May of 2015. It has been watched by a staggering 47.8 million people and counting. “Talk about teaching an old dog a new trick!” reads the video’s introduction.

It wasn’t the group of five’s first brush with fame. Old Men Grooving (OMG) was formed by members Patrick Alan, David Welch, Phil Stanley, and Bret Jones in 2014 in response to an open call by the British supermarket Sainsbury’s. The store was looking for dancers to take part in an online advertisement for Christmas sweaters.

OMG was hired, and their holiday ad campaign went viral. Sainsbury’s CEO, Mike Coupe, revealed the impact in a statement released by the supermarket: “We sold more than twice the number of Christmas jumpers compared to last,” he said.

Two of OMG’s members also had impressive celebrity connections before their BGT audition. Welch had dancing lessons from Strictly Come Dancing’s Len Goodman, and Alan was a backing dancer for Michael Jackson.

Fred Folkes joined the group later, making the foursome a fivesome. Old Men Grooving quickly proved to be the ultimate antidote to a collective fear of aging for the veteran performers.

“I used to be so embarrassed by my dancing because I was so fat,” Alan admitted, speaking to the Mirror after the group’s impressive audition. Stanley, a grandfather of two, agreed. “Over the last year or two I felt like I was just stagnating a bit, feeling a bit old and aching,” he said.

“These guys have just really warmed me up and fired me up again,” Stanley added.

OMG fared well; they placed ninth overall in the “Britain’s Got Talent” season nine finale. OMG has since performed around the world, made numerous television appearances, and continues to describe itself as “the U.K.’s number one dad dancing group” on their website.

“We want to bring down some of the prejudices people have about dancers, that you just can’t do it after a certain age,” Folkes told the Mirror. “In lots of ways you become a better dancer with more experience!”