Before Jay Kontzle was cast in Emmerdale as Billy Fletcher, he nearly found fame on Britain's Got Talent08:03, 29 Jul 2026Jay Kontzle is famed for playing Billy Fletcher in Emmerdale, but before launching an acting career, he had a very different job.‌The 35-year-old has been playing Billy on the ITV soap since December 2018, but long before he strutted into the Yorkshire village, he was singing on live television and even managed to win over Simon Cowell.‌This week in Emmerdale, Billy's future has been thrown into jeopardy after he appeared unconscious and surrounded by blood in a trailer for the show.‌The flashforward comes after Billy tries to kiss his ex-wife, Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley), while he is in a new relationship with Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham).Expectant mother Dawn is also due to marry Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), but their nuptials have also been called into doubt.Jealous of Dawn and Billy's past, Joe is seen at Home Farm, where he tells Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough), "Billy's gonna have to watch his back."‌A moment later, Billy is seen lying on the floor with blood surrounding his head, though his fate remains unknown. Has Joe really killed Billy?Where did Jay Kontzle appear before Emmerdale?Jay's journey to stardom began on the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent, where he was part of the boy band The Mend alongside Kris Evans, Dean Kelly, and Craig Worsley.‌The band was established in 2008 by former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith and amassed a large fanbase before announcing their split in 2015.They initially auditioned for The X Factor in 2011 in front of Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, and Amanda Holden, but were asked to leave during the boot camp stage due to an existing management deal.Nevertheless, they reunited with judge Simon Cowell on BGT 2012 and made it to the final after being selected as the judges' Wild Card Act.‌The band secured a spot in the final, ultimately finishing 7th. They later supported winners, Little Mix, on their huge DNA tour in 2013.But a career in music wasn't meant to be, as The Mend split back in 2015, and Jay has never shied away from showing his pride at being a part of the music group.‌Chatting to Cheshire Live, the soap star reminisced: "Being part of The Mend was a huge life experience for me and some of the best times of my life."He also admitted that growing up meant recognising when change was necessary. He added: "Obviously, being on tour and performing live on TV gave me so much experience, but as we grew older, we realised that as a boyband that catered for teenagers, we couldn't keep re-inventing ourselves."‌In another revelation to Inside Soap, Jay confided that while he relished the camaraderie of band life, the commercial aspects were less appealing.Speaking candidly to the magazine, he stated: "The best thing about being in a band was the insight I got into the industry."Jay shared his mixed feelings about the industry's inner workings: "We worked with people at the top of their game, like Simon Cowell. But in the end, the business side of music put me off. It was an experience. I don't really talk about it now because I've kind of moved on."Article continues belowThree years after the band split, Jay was cast as Billy in Emmerdale following a nudge about an audition from his mate, Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas.Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX