G4 (group)

G4 are a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in Series 1 of The X Factor in 2004, and are known for their operatic delivery of modern pop songs. Originally a barbershop quartet, the members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.

In 2007 the band disbanded, citing disagreements among the members, but reunited in 2014 to celebrate their ten-year anniversary with a number of concerts nationwide, leading to a new album for Christmas 2015.

The group currently consists of original members tenor Jonathan Ansell and baritone Mike Christie, with Michael Conway joining after Jai McDowall left in 2025, while Duncan Sandilands replaced former bass singer Nick Ashby in 2019, who had replaced original bass Matt Stiff in 2014.

In 2004, shortly after Stiff replaced original bass Tom Lowe, G4 spontaneously applied to The X Factor with the intention of using the show to obtain a quote on posters for upcoming concerts and gain publicity – prior to this they performed as buskers during their free time at college to earn extra money and gain experience. Although the band members originally took it in turns to sing lead, Simon Cowell – who had dismissed them as "fat buskers" – suggested that Ansell be promoted to the group's frontman. Mentored by Louis Walsh, they reached the final, and to date G4 remain one of only two classical-based acts to compete in the live shows, the other being Welsh baritone Rhydian – coincidentally, both placed second in Series 1 and 4 respectively, but outsold the eventual winners. Cowell, who had mentored Series 1 champion Steve Brookstein, later admitted that G4 were the real winners of the competition.

Despite their success on the show, G4 later branded The X Factor as a pantomime due to staged conflict between the judges which overshadowed the contestants. Bass singer Stiff also stated "Backstage Simon would say we were great, but then on camera say nothing. I don't think he wanted us to win and by choosing what he said on camera he knew he had the power to sway votes. He is the ringmaster". In 2013, none of G4's singles appeared on The X Factor – Greatest Hits album, despite their status at the time as one of the biggest-selling acts in the history of the show.

After The X Factor, G4 signed a £1.5 million album deal with Sony BMG. Having not been picked up by Cowell, Sony A&R Nick Raphael said that his label decided to pursue the band, stating: "We felt that they were the best act on the show." With the rules of The X Factor allowing any non-winning band or artist to sign with anyone, Sony competed with Universal and EMI for G4's signatures. Raphael believed their mentor-turned-manager Walsh accepted Sony BMG's advances because the company had a plan of how to work with them as opposed to their competitors who merely had a desire to sign the band. In addition, Sony also had a definitive date to release any albums and merchandise, as well as organised structure to make their records. During this time, Ansell, who had previously auditioned to be a member of Il Divo, was offered the role of Prince Tamino in Kenneth Branagh's modern adaptation of The Magic Flute, but turned it down to remain with the band.

The debut album, G4, was released on 28 February 2005, and contained classical covers of popular pop songs, most of which had been performed on The X Factor like "Everybody Hurts", with a few opera tunes such as "Nessun Dorma" and "Flower Duet". Most of the tracks are produced by Graham Stack and Brian Rawling. The debut single, "Bohemian Rhapsody" cover, was released on 14 March 2005, and entered the charts at #9. Following the success of G4, G4 embarked on a 25-day arena tour. The album debuted at the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart on the Mother's Day weekend selling 244,671 copies in the first week, becoming the fastest-selling album of 2005. It has sold 611,000 copies as of December 2012.

G4 & Friends was released on 28 November 2005, and followed the same format as their first album, but also included collaborations with Lesley Garrett and Robin Gibb, both of whom were special guests during the group's UK tour. Their recording of "Miss You Nights" with original artist Cliff Richard was also featured on the latter's album Two's Company The Duets. G4 & Friends peaked in UK weekly charts at #6, in Iris weekly charts at #21, and in Scottish weekly charts at #8. While not as successful as their first album, it was still certified platinum. Their version of "When a Child is Born", also from the album, was originally in the running to become christmas number one for 2005, but was disqualified due to the inclusion of free stickers in the CD case.