ITV Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist dies aged 18 following car crash just weeks after father’s death
Former Britain’s Got Talent star Oran McConville has died aged 18 following a car crash in the early hours of Saturday, April 5.
The teenager, who found fame as a child when his school choir reached the semi-finals of the ITV show in 2017, suffered fatal injuries in the collision.
His death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from his local community in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Oran was in the front passenger seat of a grey Volkswagen Golf when the accident occurred, according to reports.
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The driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene following the collision.
The tragic incident has brought “devastating shock and grief” to his family and the wider community in Drumgath, County Down.
Oran’s death marks the third tragedy to strike the McConville family in recent years.
His father Paddy died just six weeks earlier on February 21, 2025, in what has been described as an “untimely passing”.
In 2009, Oran’s 11-year-old sister Rachael was killed after being knocked down by a Volkswagen people carrier while crossing the road.
Oran was just three years old at the time of his sister’s death.
Speaking at Oran’s Requiem Mass, parish priest Fr Charles Byrne said: “Oran’s tragic death early on Saturday morning has brought devastating shock and grief to his family, to his friends, to our local community here and the wider community around it.”
“As we all know, just six weeks ago we were here for Oran’s father Paddy and 16 years ago you had the death of young Rachael. At this time we are all lost for words.”
Oran rose to fame when his school choir from St Patrick’s Primary School performed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2017.
The group impressed judges with their rendition of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” during their audition.
Simon Cowell praised their performance, saying: “You are having a good time, and that is the most important thing. That was a great audition.”
Fr Byrne described Oran 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?” he added.
The teenager had an “unbreakable bond” with his older brother Shea, whom he looked up to as a “hero”.
Colleagues at Milestone petrol station, where Oran’s mother also works, remembered him as being “full of talent, kindness, and an infectious positivity”.
Drumgath GAC, the Gaelic Athletics club where he played since childhood and later coached, said: “Órán was 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.”
Fr Byrne noted that Oran “was a natural performer” whose “love of music continued to grow. He learnt to play the guitar, loved going to concerts.”
The teenager was also a talented footballer who represented his club and St. Mark’s school with distinction.
Last year, Oran travelled to Kenya on a volunteer trip with St. Mark’s, “showcasing his compassion far beyond his own community.”
“He had time for people, young and old, and brought joy to those lucky enough to have known him,” the Drumgath GAC tribute continued.
“Whether it was on the football pitch or in the heart of the community, Órán carried himself with warmth, respect, and quiet charm.”
Oran’s mother Amanda previously wrote books about the family’s grief journey following Rachael’s death, including “My Beautiful Daughter, My Beautiful Friend” in 2017.