Teen ‘Got Talent’ Alum Dies in Car Crash: Oran McConville Was 18

A teenager who impressed judges and audience members when he competed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2017 has tragically died after being involved in a car crash.

Oran McConville, who reached the semi-finals of the ITV series alongside his school choir, was killed in a collision that occurred early Saturday morning, according to the Independent. He was 18.

McConville was a passenger of a grey Volkswagen Golf involved in the crash and suffered fatal injuries in the collision. He was pronounced dead after the accident, and the driver was arrested at the scene. Further information isn’t available at this time.

McConville’s passing comes just six weeks after his father, Paddy, passed away on Feb. 21, and several years after his 11-year-old sister Rachael was killed in a road accident involving a Volkswagen people carrier in 2009.

The teen rose to fame when he competed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2017 alongside his choir at St. Patrick’s Primary School in County Down, Northern Ireland. The choir’s audition performance of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” wowed the audience, even earning praise from judge Simon Cowell, who said, “You are having a good time, and that is the most important thing. That was a great audition.” Together with the choir, McConville made it all the way to the semi-finals of the show. Pianist Toki Myers ultimately won that season of the competition.

Speaking about the experience at McConville’s Requiem Mass in Drumgath, County Down, parish priest Fr. Charles Byrne said “this was a very enjoyable time for Oran and for his friends at the school,” per the Mirror.

“He was a natural performer and years later was able to look back on those times with fun and laughter,” he added. “His love of music continued to grow. He learnt to play the guitar, loved going to concerts.”

Byrne described McConville as the “baby of the family… who got away with more mischief than most. With a smile like his, who could be cross for long…. Underneath all the laughter and the mischief, Oran had a softer side too. He loved gazing at the moon and the stars.”

He continued, “Through it all, he carried the memories of his deceased sister Rachel and his recently deceased father Paddy deep in his heart. He lived in a way that made them proud every single day with joy, kindness, courage and love.”

In addition to performing in his school choir, McConville was also a talented footballer who played with and alter coached at Drumgath GAC. In a statement paying tribute to the late star, according to the Daily Mail, the Gaelic Athletics club remembered McConville as “so much more than a young man- he was a bright light in our community. Kind, gentle, full of humour, and always up for a chat, Órán had that rare ability to make everyone feel at ease in his company… Whether it was on the football pitch or in the heart of the community, Órán carried himself with warmth, respect, and quiet charm.”