Stavros Flatley may not have won Britain’s Got Talent but they are one of the most popular acts to ever emerge from the show.
The British-Cypriot father-son dance duo had audiences on their feet when they first performed their iconic Greek dance while wearing leather trousers and blonde wigs with a black strap across their heads back in 2009.
Their act and name came from a combination of Lord of the Dance and Riverdance legend Michael Flatley and the Greek kebab shop owner with fractured English who was portrayed by Harry Enfield on Saturday Live.
In what will go down as one of the most iconic auditions of all time, topless dad Demi Demetriou, who was 40 at the time, was joined on stage by then 12-year-old lookalike son Lagi.
Simon Cowell described their performance as “one of his favourite ever dance acts” and they made it all the way to the final, they finished in fourth place behind Julian Smith, Susan Boyle and winners Diversity.
In an interview, Demi said: “I can’t express to you how proud I am of Lagi. It’s not just the way he dances or the way he handles himself, but the best thing in the world is for somebody else to say, ‘You’ve got a good kidd’.
(Image: The Daily Mirror)
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“I know it’s only a silly little dance and we just have a bit of fun, but I’m proud of him like you wouldn’t imagine.”
They started getting recognised wherever they went, even being congratulated over the tannoy while on a tube, while Lagi revealed he was mobbed by girls.
But Demi vowed to carry on with his day job, saying: “The electrical business is going well, and because I’m a director, I can still head the business and do a few bits of dancing.
“One of the hardest things I’ve done is sell the restaurant, but I did it because I wanted to spend more time with my family. Regardless of what everyone says, the food was terrible, but we were still booked out.”
Despite finding fame, Demi’s electrical firm, Lagi Contractors Ltd, went into administration with sub-contractors claiming they were owed £100,000.
Demi had been making money off the business while touring the country with Lagi. and lost £180,000 of his own cash in the crash.
The business had debts of more than half a million in total when it was forced to shut.
(Image: Ken McKay/Rex Features)
The pair took part in Sugar Free Farm in 2017, a reality show focused on going on a sugar free diet, after Demi was told he was putting his life at risk because of his size.
When the show’s doctor assessed Demi’s large stomach, he immediately organised an MRI scan to assess his intra-abdominal fat.
The results showed his hard belly fat was putting him at risk of suffering a heart attack – and he broke down in front of his son when he revealed the news.
He said: “The doctor said it was the worst place to carry fat because it could lead to all sorts of health problems, like heart disease, strokes, diabetes and high blood pressure. I was putting my life at risk but eating less would cut my chances.”
He added: “The MRI results were a big shock as I’d never had any health issues in the past, so it was a real wake-up call.”
In 2017 the duo both appeared as a part of Kenzii & Aaron’s date on the second ever episode of ITV2’s ‘Dress To Impress’ and they also made a very brief appearance on Celebrity Coach Trip in 2011.
A decade on from their original appearance, the lads returned for a guest appearance in 4MGs semi finals appearance in 2019.
But their big comeback came in 2019 for the first series of Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions and they were given a place straight in the final with Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer.
Before they performed again, Stavros Flatley announced they would be splitting up once the final was over.
“We’ve done this for 10 years for a joke. We’ve done so many amazing things but what is there left to do? We’ve done the Royal Variety, we’ve played in China, Monaco – everywhere,” explained Lagi.
“When we got to The Champions, I thought this was the right time to leave. But Simon Cowell told me not to quit forever. So I will return for some shows.”
Demi claimed the pair have made more than £2million from their exploits on the show and have performed all over the world, but admitted it was “a joke which got out of hand”.
While Lagi would be stepping away from dancing and opening a barber shop in Cyprus, his dad vowed to continue the act with his 17-year-old nephew Samson.
The addition of Samson would breathe new life into the act, though Demi warned that it won’t be the same, as the newbie brings muscles to the duo.
Demi said: “He has a six-pack – I’ve given up getting one of those.”
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Stavros Flatley finished in second place behind Twist and Pulse in the champions series and were also back as the original duo for the Britain’s Got Talent Christmas Spectacular in 2020.
Demi now spends most of his time in Cyprus where he runs a water sports business, while Lagi runs his barber shop in Cyprus which has a Stavros Flatley Museum located in the bathroom.
On New Year’s Eve in 2020, Lagi popped the question to his girlfriend Annika on the last day of 2020 with a stunning diamond ring.
He took to his Instagram account just before midnight to share the happy news with his followers, posting a picture of Annika sitting on his knee while she showed off her rock and sipped on a glass of champagne.
“I didn’t get a trim and oh yeahhh guess what,” he said along with a snap of the two enjoying some champagne.
Annika gushed over her husband to be last year in a sweet post, calling him “her love, her partner in crime, her best friend”.
“You continue to shine every day,” she wrote. “Thank you for changing our lives for the better. I am so grateful for you. Soon we officially start our life together & I am so ready to do life with you.”
Then the couple announced they were expecting their first child together.
The reality star shared the exciting news in a TikTok video, with the caption: “To another new chapter with my beautiful wife to be. I love you @neekzs.”
The sweet video saw Lagi and his partner share a hug, before she revealed her small baby bump.
Annika shared a photo of her baby bump on Instagram, writing: “Our Next chapter – Baby Demetriou.”
In April this year, Lagi took to Instagram to announce the birth of his child while sharing a snap of his newborn baby’s hand.
He captioned the selection of photos: “To another new chapter with my beautiful wife to be. I love you @neekzs.”
New dad Lagi, who lives in Cyprus with Annika, said that they called their daughter Xenia.
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