The Britain's Got Talent tour comes to Nottingham tomorrow with winners Diversity and singing sensation Susan Boyle. And putting a smile on everybody's face will be the hilarious dance act Stavros Flatley. LYNETTE PINCHESS talks to the father and son duo

BRITAIN'S Got Talent judge Simon Cowell described them as one of his "favourite ever dance acts" and "rubbish but brilliant". Stavros Flatley's unique Greek/Irish jig was without doubt the funniest act in this year's competition.

Father and son Demetrios and Lagi Demetriou, bare-chested with blond wigs in Zorba the Greek outfits, scooted through to the final, drawing in more than 14m viewers in their semi-final.

But larger than life Demetrios could have easily ended up on an entirely different reality TV show a few years ago.....

Had he not dreamt up the entertaining dance act to bail out his struggling Greek restaurant, he would have been the perfect candidate for Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

"The food wasn't very good, the customers wouldn't come back – it was a disaster," said Demetrios, who is squeezing our telephone interview in between photo-shoots.

To drum up more business, the 41-year-old Greek-Cypriot introduced entertainment – music, karaoke and plate smashing.

"But there was no big finale. I saw Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames and I thought what would be funnier than a fat Greek fella doing Michael Flatley?" explains Demetrios.

"I got a leotard and cut it up and wore a weight-lifting belt.

"It went down a treat. We were booked up three months in advance at the weekends. "People would say 'your food was rubbish but we had a brilliant time'."

Demetrios, who eventually ditched the restaurant in Enfield, north London, to go into an electrical engineering business, joked to wife Karen that Stavros should audition for Britain's Got Talent.

Until then Lagi, 13, had not been part of the act but he told his dad he'd team up with him.

Demetrios showed him Michael Flatley on YouTube. "I said if you can do that we'll do it together. He's never been to dance lessons or drama school but he got it down to a tee."

At their audition Simon Cowell visibly cringed when the music struck up and the voiceover began "many years ago in Cyprus lived a man who loved to dance...."

But there was laughter all round as Demetrios bounded onto stage, leaving the judges and audience in hysterics by the end.

But no one was more surprised than Stavros himself when the act was given three thumbs up.

"Every time it was a surprise to get through," he said. "I am so proud me and my son have made you lot laugh and you have picked up the phone and spent a couple of quid to put us through.

"We honestly thought we'd be going home."

Demetrios thought the final was a foregone conclusion and was shocked when Diversity won.

"I thought Susan was going to win. That was a wicked song," he said.

"Diversity are a great bunch of lads. When we met them they were dancing with Lagi and he was doing their moves."

Demetrios is waiting to see where the act takes them after the tour.

But there's word that cricketer Andrew Flintoff wants Stavros for his charity dinner.

"We'd love to do that," he said.

"This is the best feeling in your life. I never thought in my wildest dreams this was going to happen.

"We spend all day laughing. People come up to you and want to shake your hand.

"The first thing they do is smile and they go 'you make us laugh so much'. The other day something went wrong at work and I had to shoot into Asda. A lady came up and said 'oh wow it's you' and she went to buy a throw away camera to get my photo.

"How can you have a bad day when things like that happen?

"They say laughter is the best medicine so I must be the fittest bloke on earth."

Lagi is as astounded as his dad by their popularity.

"I couldn't have imagined this in my wildest dreams. It has been brilliant," he says.

The two share a strong father-son bond. They enjoy playing golf together and Demetrios coaches Lagi's football team Minchenden Youth.

"We have the record for the most games without a goal. I scored my first goal in about 117 games but I do I play in defence," said Lagi.

On Father's Day the BGT tour moves onto Wembley and performing with his son is probably the best present Demetrios could wish for but Lagi says: "When we get back I'm getting him something nice."

On last year's tour winner George Sampson and fellow dance acts Signature and Nemesis teamed up for a special routine.

So will Stavros be throwing a few moves with special guest George this year?

"Ha! I could give him a run for his money. We move our legs so quickly, you can't tell we're not dancing," laughs Demetrios.

At the time of going to press Susan Boyle is expected to appear.

Her publicist Nicola Phillips said: "At the moment she is definitely expected in Nottingham but she might tell us today that she needs a rest day."

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