Sarah Patricia Jones is no average grandmother. When the 79-year-old walked on stage for her Britain’s Got Talent audition, the judges and audience didn’t know what kind of treat they were in for.
Before she and her much younger partner even had a chance to introduce themselves, judge Simon Cowell muttered under his breath, “this is weird.” But it wasn’t long before he was eating his words.
Jones’s dance with Nico Espinosa started out slow and polite, perfectly paced for a woman her age. But just when everyone was ready to write them off (and as Cowell hit his red buzzer to dismiss them), the music, and their dance, changed. The judges and audience were surprised to see Jones–who turns 80 in July–performing twirls and lifts that only the most advanced pairs on Dancing With the Stars attempt.
Their fancy footwork and complicated choreography left all four judges in a state of shock immediately following the performance. After a standing ovation, judge Amanda Holden pressed the golden buzzer, letting Jones advance straight to the live semi-finals. When the crowd settled, Cowell was the first judge to address their spectacular performance. “I apologize for buzzing a little early before all the crazy things happened. It was all kind of slow and normal, and then it all went ballistic. It was extraordinary.”
Jones revealed that she began dancing when she was two, but gave it up when she got married and started a family. “I was a trained ballet dancer and used to do local pantomime,” Jones told The Mirror, “but I gave it up when I was 22 when I got married.”
She married her late husband, David in 1956, and in 2003 they moved to Spain. But shortly after they settled into life there, he passed away of leukaemia. “With a husband and four children there was no time for dancing,” Jones continued. “But when this came up, I checked with the kids and they said this is what dad would have wanted – but I didn’t expect that.”
When asked if she hoped to win the show, Jones replied, “Oh, it would be very nice. But just as long as people enjoy what we’re doing and we give people pleasure, that’s the main thing.”
