# Ashleigh and Pudsey
**Ashleigh and Pudsey** were a British dog trick act consisting of Ashleigh Butler, a dog trainer and dancer from [Northamptonshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/northamptonshire), and Pudsey, her border collie, bichon frise and Chinese crested cross. They won the sixth series (2012) of the ITV talent show *Britain's Got Talent*, becoming the first dog act to win the competition, with a routine performed to the [Mission Impossible theme](https://www.edgepedia.org/theme-from-mission-impossible).[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012) • [2](https://news.sky.com/story/pudseys-death-was-hardest-decision-of-my-life-10957212)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Winning series | *Britain's Got Talent* series 6, final on 12 May 2012; the first dog act to win the show[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012) • [2](https://news.sky.com/story/pudseys-death-was-hardest-decision-of-my-life-10957212) |
| The dog | Pudsey, a cross between a border collie, bichon frise and Chinese crested powder puff; six years old at the 2012 final[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/pudsey-waltzes-away-with-the-bgt-crown-7742367.html) |
| Prize | £500,000 and a performance slot at the Royal Variety Performance before the Queen[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012) |
| Signature routines | Flintstones-themed audition; Mission Impossible routine in the final, including a leap across Simon Cowell's desk[4](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/10-years-of-bgt-ashleigh-and-pudsey-first-audition) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/pudsey-waltzes-away-with-the-bgt-crown-7742367.html) |
| Pudsey's death | Euthanised on 20 July 2017 at age 11 after an acute leukemia diagnosis, less than ten days after concerns first arose[2](https://news.sky.com/story/pudseys-death-was-hardest-decision-of-my-life-10957212) |
| Ashleigh's later dogs | Sully (Border Collie/Poodle cross), then Nacho; Crufts agility championships in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2026[5](https://www.royalkennelclub.com/about-us/resources/media-centre/2019/march/wellingborough-dog-and-owner-crowned-agility-champions-at-crufts/) • [6](https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/wellingboroughs-former-britains-got-talent-winner-claims-another-title-at-crufts-2026-with-nacho-5628879) |
## The 2012 competition
Ashleigh Butler was 16 when she auditioned for the sixth series of *Britain's Got Talent* with Pudsey, performing a Flintstones-themed routine.[4](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/10-years-of-bgt-ashleigh-and-pudsey-first-audition) In the audition the pair performed to The B-52's tune "The Flintstones". Judge [Simon Cowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/simon-cowell), who had made no secret of a fondness for animal acts, said at the audition, "This is what I've been waiting for all my life. You are one of my favorite ever acts."[7](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/ashleigh-sully/)
In the live final on Saturday 12 May 2012, the pair performed their fast-footed routine to the Mission Impossible theme, with tricks including jumping, dancing on hind legs, meandering through Ashleigh's legs, and a run across the judges' table.[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012) They beat the bookmakers' favorites, the pop-opera duo [Jonathan and Charlotte](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-and-charlotte), who took second place, with the Welsh boys choir Only Boys Aloud, 133 singers aged 14 to 19, in third.[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012) The viewing public awarded them the most votes.[8](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2012/0513/437345-bgt/)
Cowell reacted to the result by calling Pudsey "the people's favourite" and predicted he would be "the most famous dog in the world".[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/pudsey-waltzes-away-with-the-bgt-crown-7742367.html) The act had entered the final as an outsider, with last-minute punters betting heavily on them.[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012)
## After the win
**Prizes and performances.** The victory brought £500,000 and a slot at the [Royal Variety Performance](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-variety-performance) before the Queen.[1](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012) Cowell flew the pair to Hollywood and New York, where they appeared on *The Tonight Show with Jay Leno*, *America's Got Talent*, *Good Morning America* and other US programs, and they performed for the Queen a second time at the [Epsom Derby](https://www.edgepedia.org/epsom-derby) before an audience of 100,000.[7](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/ashleigh-sully/)
**Books and film.** In October 2012 Pudsey published an autobiography, *Pudsey: My Autobidography*, released as part of a £100,000 publishing deal; it reportedly sold out within three days.[2](https://news.sky.com/story/pudseys-death-was-hardest-decision-of-my-life-10957212) • [9](https://bgt.fandom.com/wiki/Ashleigh_and_Pudsey) The film *Pudsey The Dog: The Movie*, a comedy drama in which Pudsey stows away with a family moving from London to a farm, premiered in London's West End and opened in UK cinemas on 18 July 2014, with *Britain's Got Talent* judge [David Walliams](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-walliams) voicing Pudsey.[10](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/pudsey-the-dog-the-movie-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zotq5nzy) • [11](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/pudsey-the-movie-premieres-in-the-west-end) The pair also judged on the ITV show *That Dog Can Dance!*, presented the CBBC series *Who Let the Dogs Out?*, performed in pantomimes, and made guest appearances on shows such as *Blue Peter*.[12](https://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Ashleigh_Butler) • [13](https://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/favour/favour51_spring2015.pdf)
**Agility competition.** Pudsey was crowned a Crufts agility champion in 2016, four years after the television win.[14](https://pocketmags.com/eu/your-dog-magazine/your-do-magazine-october-2021/articles/-every-dog-makes-me-a-better-trainer)
## Pudsey's death and Ashleigh's later dogs
Pudsey died on 20 July 2017 at the age of 11 after being diagnosed with acute leukemia. Ashleigh noticed something wrong at a dog show less than ten days earlier; he deteriorated between Tuesday and Thursday and was euthanised. She called the decision to let him go the hardest of her life.[2](https://news.sky.com/story/pudseys-death-was-hardest-decision-of-my-life-10957212) • [15](https://www.expressandstar.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/britains-got-talent-winner-ashleigh-butler-opens-up-about-pudseys-death-6262737) Tributes came from judges David Walliams and [Amanda Holden](https://www.edgepedia.org/amanda-holden) and from former winner [George Sampson](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-sampson).[16](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0721/892091-britains-got-talent-bgt-pudsey/)
Sully, Ashleigh's other dog, a [Border Collie](https://www.edgepedia.org/border-collie)/Poodle cross, took Pudsey's place in performances.[17](https://www.itv.com/news/central/2017-07-21/britains-got-talent-star-pudsey-the-dog-has-died) With Sully, Ashleigh won the Kennel Club Agility Championship Small category at Crufts for a second time on 10 March 2019, after also winning in 2018.[5](https://www.royalkennelclub.com/about-us/resources/media-centre/2019/march/wellingborough-dog-and-owner-crowned-agility-champions-at-crufts/) In 2023 Ashleigh and Sully earned a place on the GB Agility Team.[18](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/britains-got-talent-winners-where-are-they-now-b1152701.html) In 2026 she won the Royal Kennel Club Singles Agility Medium final at Crufts with Nacho, a crossbreed.[6](https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/wellingboroughs-former-britains-got-talent-winner-claims-another-title-at-crufts-2026-with-nacho-5628879)
## Legacy
Ashleigh and Pudsey remained the sixth winner in the show's history and the act Time magazine cited in 2014 when describing how the [Got Talent](https://www.edgepedia.org/got-talent) format kept producing unexpected discoveries.[19](https://time.com/3326578/almost-everybodys-got-talent/) A later dog act winner, Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse in 2015, drew controversy when viewers learned a second dog had been used in the final, a contrast sometimes noted with the untroubled reception of Ashleigh and Pudsey's 2012 victory.[18](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/britains-got-talent-winners-where-are-they-now-b1152701.html)
## References
1. [Ashleigh and Pudsey win Britain's Got Talent 2012, ITV News (12 May 2012)](https://www.itv.com/news/2012-05-12/ashleigh-and-pudsey-win-britains-got-talent-2012)
2. [Pudsey's death 'was hardest decision of my life', Sky News (22 July 2017)](https://news.sky.com/story/pudseys-death-was-hardest-decision-of-my-life-10957212)
3. [Pudsey waltzes away with the BGT crown, The Independent (14 May 2012)](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/pudsey-waltzes-away-with-the-bgt-crown-7742367.html)
4. [10 Years of BGT: Ashleigh and Pudsey rock Simon's world, Britain's Got Talent / ITV](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/10-years-of-bgt-ashleigh-and-pudsey-first-audition)
5. [Wellingborough dog and owner crowned Agility champions at Crufts, The Kennel Club (14 March 2019)](https://www.royalkennelclub.com/about-us/resources/media-centre/2019/march/wellingborough-dog-and-owner-crowned-agility-champions-at-crufts/)
6. [Wellingborough's former Britain's Got Talent winner claims another title at Crufts 2026 with Nacho, Northants Telegraph](https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/wellingboroughs-former-britains-got-talent-winner-claims-another-title-at-crufts-2026-with-nacho-5628879)
7. [Ashleigh & Sully profile, InterTalent](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/ashleigh-sully/)
8. [Ashleigh & Pudsey win BGT 2012, RTÉ Entertainment (13 May 2012)](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2012/0513/437345-bgt/)
9. [Ashleigh and Pudsey, Britain's Got Talent Wiki (Fandom)](https://bgt.fandom.com/wiki/Ashleigh_and_Pudsey)
10. [Pudsey The Dog: The Movie, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/pudsey-the-dog-the-movie-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zotq5nzy)
11. [Pudsey The Movie premieres in the West End, Britain's Got Talent / ITV](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/pudsey-the-movie-premieres-in-the-west-end)
12. [Ashleigh Butler, UKGameshows](https://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Ashleigh_Butler)
13. [Favour magazine, Issue 51, Spring 2015, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People](https://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/favour/favour51_spring2015.pdf)
14. ["Every dog makes me a better trainer", Your Dog Magazine, October 2021](https://pocketmags.com/eu/your-dog-magazine/your-do-magazine-october-2021/articles/-every-dog-makes-me-a-better-trainer)
15. [Britain's Got Talent winner Ashleigh Butler opens up about Pudsey's death, Express & Star (24 July 2017)](https://www.expressandstar.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/britains-got-talent-winner-ashleigh-butler-opens-up-about-pudseys-death-6262737)
16. [Britain's Got Talent winner Pudsey dies, RTÉ Entertainment (22 July 2017)](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0721/892091-britains-got-talent-bgt-pudsey/)
17. [Britain's Got Talent star Pudsey the dog dies, ITV News Central (21 July 2017)](https://www.itv.com/news/central/2017-07-21/britains-got-talent-star-pudsey-the-dog-has-died)
18. [Where are Britain's Got Talent winners now?, The Standard (21 April 2024)](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/britains-got-talent-winners-where-are-they-now-b1152701.html)
19. [Almost Everybody's Got Talent, Time (September 2014)](https://time.com/3326578/almost-everybodys-got-talent/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Reality and competition franchise editions › Got Talent and other variety talent-show franchises*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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