Lucy Illingworth wowed audiences on the TV talent show, but her journey started as a toddler with dedicated tutor Daniel Bath. Now, a documentary shows how they did it – and the shocking moment a royal disaster almost stopped them
Lucy Illingworth is the breakout star of the ivory-tinkling TV talent show The Piano. When the teenager, who is blind and neurodivergent, sat down at Leeds railway station, then 13, her rendition of Chopin’s Nocturne in B-flat minor brought rush-hour crowds to a standstill and reduced bystanders to tears. Clips of the performance have clocked up millions of views online and it has been nominated for Bafta’s Memorable Moment of 2024.
In the season one finale at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Lucy was crowned the unofficial winner of the Channel 4 show. She was duly invited to play at the king’s coronation concert last May. But as a new documentary reveals, the biggest gig of Lucy’s life was almost derailed when her lifelong piano teacher fell foul of royal security.
