When Dawn and her teenage daughter Abby walked onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage in 2012, they appeared to have a simple plan: perform together as a mother-daughter singing duo.

They chose Plan B’s “She Said” for their audition.

But as the performance developed, Simon Cowell became particularly interested in Abby.

What started as a mother-daughter duet soon turned into a much more revealing audition, with Simon asking to hear what the 14-year-old could do on her own.

👩‍👧 Meet Like Mother, Like Daughter

The duo were known as Like Mother, Like Daughter and consisted of mother Dawn and her daughter Abby.

Dawn had been singing for many years and had performed at numerous gigs before the pair decided to audition for Britain’s Got Talent.

Abby, however, was much less experienced as a performer.

The pair came from Strood, Kent, and their decision to audition together gave Abby an opportunity to step onto a major television stage alongside her mother.

🎤 Performing Plan B’s “She Said”

For their audition, Dawn and Abby chose “She Said” by Plan B.

At first, the focus was on the unusual combination of mother and daughter performing together.

But Simon Cowell soon became interested in Abby’s individual ability.

👀 Simon Wants to Hear Abby Alone

One of the defining moments of the audition came when Simon suggested that Abby should perform by herself.

The request changed the dynamic completely.

Instead of judging only the mother-daughter combination, the panel now had a chance to hear what Abby could do without her mother beside her.

Abby then performed a rap, while Dawn briefly sang from backstage.

That moment became the central story of the audition.

🎶 The Judges Had Different Reactions

The audition also produced differing opinions among the judges.

David Walliams and Alesha Dixon buzzed the performance during the audition, while Simon focused his attention on Abby and asked to hear more from the teenager.

Alesha also questioned whether the audition was primarily connected to Dawn’s ambitions.

That made the performance more complicated than a straightforward mother-daughter duet.

❤️ A Mother and Daughter With Different Goals

The audition raised an interesting question: were Dawn and Abby pursuing the same dream?

Dawn had years of experience performing, while Abby was still a schoolgirl and had not spent the same amount of time performing publicly.

The judges’ comments brought that difference into focus.

What began as a shared audition became a conversation about Abby’s individual potential and whether the duo worked as a single act.

🎤 Abby Gets Her Own Moment

For Abby, Simon’s request gave her a chance to step forward individually.

Her solo rap showed that she had a different performance style from her mother.

Rather than simply copying Dawn’s approach, Abby was able to demonstrate her own personality on stage.

That distinction was one of the most interesting aspects of the audition.

❌ Their BGT Journey Ended at the Audition Stage

Despite the attention Abby received from Simon, Like Mother, Like Daughter did not advance beyond the audition stage.

The pair were ultimately sent home from the competition.

Their audition nevertheless became a memorable BGT throwback because of the unusual mother-daughter dynamic and Simon’s decision to separate Abby from the duet and hear her perform independently.

🌟 Why the Audition Still Gets Attention

The performance remains interesting because viewers can see the audition change direction in real time.

It begins as a mother-daughter singing performance.

Then Simon becomes curious about the daughter.

Abby gets an opportunity to perform alone.

And suddenly the judges are discussing whether the two performers should even be judged as one act.

That unexpected shift gives the audition a strong storytelling element.

Final Thoughts

Dawn and Abby walked onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage as a mother-daughter duo hoping to make an impression.

They chose Plan B’s “She Said,” but the audition soon became more focused on Abby and what she could do independently.

Simon Cowell’s request for Abby to perform alone created the most memorable turning point of the audition.

Although Like Mother, Like Daughter did not advance, their 2012 BGT appearance remains an intriguing example of how quickly a talent-show audition can change once a judge notices something unexpected.

Sometimes the most interesting part of an audition isn’t the performance you expect to see.

It’s what happens when a judge asks, “What can you do on your own?”