Three Surbiton High School girls claimed a share of £100,000 and a place in the Royal Variety Performance after their gymnastics troupe Spelbound won Britain’s Got Talent.

The high-flying group won despite fire disrupting rehearsals two days before the final and the pressure of upcoming GCSE and A-level exams.

More than 14m ITV viewers watched their dramatic performance, which opened with one member soaring over the judges’ heads on to the stage. They beat Croydon street dancers Twist and Pulse and teenage drummer Kieran Gaffney into second and third.

Amy Mackenzie, 12, said the group panicked after the fire in Hounslow, which caused disruption at Heathrow and prevented them training on Thursday night, but they got back on track with a 6am start the following day and an evening session lasting until midnight.

The three judges said they would be a brilliant open act for the 2012 Olympics, and Simon Cowell said: “Putting that into Olympic terms, that would have won the gold medal. I can only say on live TV that was one of the most astonishing things I have every seen.”

Katie Axten, 17, said: “I can’t describe what it’s been like. It was the best feeling of my life. I hugged Amy so hard I’m surprised she didn’t turn blue.

“We have lots of offers coming through – maybe going to to Vegas and working with Usher, and then we would love to do the opening ceremony.”

However, the girls had little time to celebrate their success, with Abi Ralph, 16, back at school on Monday for a GCSE maths exam.

All 13 members of Spelbound, whose distinctive spelling reflects its Spelthorne roots, will give 15 per cent of their winnings to their gym, while the girls will save some and give some to their parents.

School principal Ann Haydon said: “The girls are very grounded and are well prepared and ready for their exams. But we'll have a small celebration for them after school to congratulate them on their amazing success.”

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