Cillian O’Connor, a 13-year-old native of Donacarney in Co. Meath, appeared on the season premiere of Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday and wowed the judges by weaving his personal story with some mind-bending magic.

O’Connor, who is also the youngest member of the Society of Irish Magicians, moved the show’s judges – Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli – with a poignant and uplifting performance. The Irish teen began by sharing his struggles of growing up with autism and how he has now come to view his diagnosis in a new light.

“I’ve learned that having autism is not a disability, it’s an ability,” the young performer remarked to cheers.

“When I was younger, I was unable to interact with people. I felt a bit empty, incomplete. I felt invisible,” he explained while simultaneously pouring a glass of milk into a cup.

“After discovering magic, my life changed. It was like a light switch coming on inside my head,” he continued before snapping his fingers, causing a lamp standing behind him to turn on.

The young magician shocked the crowd further by making the milk appear to move from the cup to inside the lightbulb that had just turned on. Continuing with the theme of food, O’Connor then asked Cowell, the show’s notoriously critical judge, to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar. After making his guess (2,500), the 13-year-old directed Cowell to open the jar to find a note which matched the number he had chosen.

Thank you to all the guys @bgt who made this possible for me 😊
🌟🌟🌟🌟Four Yesss
✨DREAMS DO COME TRUE ✨ https://t.co/IAehDC5oTA

— Cillians Magic (@CilliansMagic) April 16, 2023

Mixing talent, passion and charisma, the young magician earned a standing ovation from the crowd and rave comments from the judges.

“You are unbelievably talented,” Cowell said. “There’s something really, really incredible about you and I do believe in magic.”

Holden called the Irish teen a “little superstar” and Dixon said his passion and personality shined through.

“You have a fantastic future in front of you,” new judge Tonioli proudly remarked.

O’Connor received four yeses and was sent through to the next round of BGT. Fans can be sure to catch him in the coming weeks with more exciting magic.

Watch Cillian O'Connor’s Britain's Got Talent audition below.