A LEIGH comedian who survived two strokes left judges on Britain’s Got Talent howling as he secured four “yeses” to secure a spot in the next round.

Markus Birdman, 52, caused a stir with his performance on Saturday night - poking fun at himself as a stroke victim and giving his views on parenting that riled some viewers.

The funny man had his first stroke in 2011 and then a second in June 2021, when he lost half his eyesight permanently, and it has become a regular topic in his stand-up return.

He kicked off his performance with a joke on parenting, saying: “Kids are the biggest source of joy you will ever have. Trouble is, they tend to ruin every other source of joy you ever had.”

He then moved onto stroke jokes, quipping: “People don’t always believe me. I perhaps don’t look like a stroke survivor to you, but what you fail to appreciate is I am actually 23.”

A few jokes proved slightly close to the line for viewers at home, but Mr Birdman insisted being able to poke fun at himself is a key part of his routine.

Following the performance, he said: “Being on Britain’s Got Talent was quite nerve wracking and I am used to being on stage but the stakes were pretty high.

“It is very iconic as we have all seen it on the TV and it can be quite overwhelming. I am going through to the live shows at the end of the month.

“It is amazing and exciting, I am going forward with more confidence and I am keen to put myself forward. “I have been doing comedy for over 20 years.

"The stroke’s completely changed the act, it was life changing. I started to talk about it more and write about it too.

“I wanted something that was interesting and the material seemed to go down really well. It seems to resonate with people and it is got some heart behind it too.

“I think these things make my act and comedy more interesting.”

He has performed all across the world and has been working to raise awareness of strokes and survivors.

He said his experiences spurred him to talk about the conditions and that other survivors come forward to thank him talking about the issue.

He added: “The strokes are very much inspiration for my material as it’s the biggest thing to happen to me in the last few years. I can’t not mention it.

“I have got to talk about it and find it quite cathartic. I am working on material for the live show and there will be mention of the strikes and how Essex my daughter is."