The identity of anonymous magician X was revealed live on the Britain’s Got Talent final, and it turned out he was a rather familiar face. 

After performing one final trick during Sunday’s live show, the masked illusionist revealed himself as 2018 contestant Marc Spelmann. 

The judges and hosts Ant and Dec were left flabbergasted when a VT played out revealing X’s tricks were connected to the ones Marc performed on last year’s series. 

He then took off the white mask he had been wearing during his second turn on the show, and it took a while for Ant, Dec, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams to absorb the revelation. 

Alesha later commented it was the most shocked she had been in eight years of judging the show. 

Ant and Dec picked Marc as their Golden Buzzer act during last year’s series when he auditioned with a trick that was inspired by his then-three-year-old daughter. 

It was set against the story of how Marc and his wife had battled to conceive Isabella and how his wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant. 

While winning the Golden Buzzer, he was knocked out of the competition during the live semi-finals of last year’s competition. 

Marc’s turn as X and the tricks based on the theme of ‘hope’ also related back to his 2018 audition, as a VT he played last year featured the word ‘hope’ written in Isabella’s cot. 

Speaking after the reveal, Marc explained he had chosen to audition again using a masked character so he would get through the competition based on the merit of the tricks, rather than for being recognised. 

He also told hosts Ant and Dec there were some family members who didn’t even know he was the man behind X.