Britain's Got Talent final for Only Boys Aloud choir

Only Boys Aloud have impressed the judges and viewers with their choice of Welsh music

A boys' choir from south Wales is celebrating success in reaching the final of Britain's Got Talent.

Viewers of the ITV1 show voted for the 140-strong choir as one of two acts to go through from the first semi-final.

Director Tim Rhys Evans said: "I'm so proud of them and so delighted that the lads are getting this amazing opportunity."

Ashleigh and her dancing dog Pudsey, were named as the other semi-final winners.

'Truly terrifying'

The choir faced some nail-biting moments after they were named one of the top three acts in the public vote.

The judges were divided on whether to name Only Boys Aloud or Manchester boy band The Mend as the runners-up and had to rely on the public vote to decide which act would go through.

Mr Rhys Evans told BBC Radio Wales the tension was "truly terrifying" but they were delighted to make it to Saturday's grand final.

"It was a great experience - just to get the semi-final was massive for Only Boys Aloud.

Ashleigh Butler and her dog Pudsey were the semi-final winners

"I'm so proud of them and so delighted that the lads are getting this amazing opportunity."

The choir was formed to perform at the 2010 National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale.

Mr Rhys Evans would not reveal what the choir planned to sing in the final, but he said there had been an incredible reaction from the judging panel to their choice of traditional Welsh music.

The choir followed their audition performance of Calon Lan with the hymn Gwahoddiad in Sunday's semi-final.

"It is amazing really because when we picked Calon Lan as our first piece a lot of people were quite critical of that decision because they thought it was going to be suicidal.

"But the boys were singing with so much passion I knew it would transmit across the footlights."

Luke, one of the choir members, said it was an exciting but busy time.

"I've got to revise hard for my A-levels next week - I've got a lot of revision to do to catch up with the work. But I will find time to celebrate.

"To get all these 140 boys all from very different backgrounds coming into a choir, it doesn't matter how poor, how wealthy you are, to do something we love and to do it so well - it's fantastic."

As they prepare for Saturday's final, the boys will be hoping to emulate their adult counterparts Only Men Aloud, who won the BBC talent show Last Choir Standing in 2008, and opera singer Paul Potts from Port Talbot, who won the first series of Britain's Got Talent in 2007.