It has been half a decade since Charlie “Melody” Lenehan, from Frampton Cotterell, and Leondre “Bars” Devries first stepped onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage and were catapulted to fame.

The pair, now known worldwide as Bars and Melody, were sent straight to the semi-final of the ITV show in 2014 by Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer, after performing their anti-bullying rap hit.

Since then they have had a platinum-selling album, 3.4 million YouTube fans, 200 million audition views and the chance to travel all over the world, reports The Mirror and are now back on our screens for Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.

But the biggest differences in their lives since they swapped school for stardom have been played out privately.

Charlie, 20, says: “We are completely different people since we first stood on the BGT stage, so young and nervous. We’ve achieved so many dreams.”

Charlie, who grew up in South Gloucestershire and attended Winterbourne Academy, says: “I don’t have any contact with my father. But I knew I had a brother and have been looking for him for years.

“One night I got lucky and found his profile on Facebook. The next day I drove from my home in Wales to his in Bournemouth.

“It was very emotional, and really strange. How do you talk to your brother you’ve never seen before? It was scary how similar we were.

BGT fans can’t believe how different Bars and Melody look as they return after five years(Image: ITV)

“He is 29, and I found out I had another younger brother, aged 16, who I didn’t know existed.

“And do you know what else is crazy? My brother, his wife and my nephew all voted for me when they saw me on TV and had no idea who I was.”

While Charlie has gained two brothers, Leondre, from Port Talbot, lost the connection with his father. In his audition, he proudly told the judges his dad was a stonemason.

But shortly after the show shot Bars and Melody to fame – and won them an invitation to the Ellen chat show in the US – his dad Antonio claimed he was a music promoter.

Two years later, Antonio threatened his son with legal action. He said at the time: “When the success came I was pushed out, but I feel the kids are being exploited.”

Bars and Melody and Twist and Pulse were both sent through to BGT Champions final(Image: ITV)

The nasty fall-out has scarred Leondre, 18. He says: “Things got a bit weird after the show. Some people become greedy and we had to part ways. I haven’t spoken to my dad since.

“That’s the sad thing about fame – it brings out sides of people I’d never known.

“That was hard for me. But I’d be willing to see him again – I definitely won’t forget the stuff he said to me, but at the same time holding grudges isn’t great.”

• The final of Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions is on ITV at 8.30pm on Saturday, October 5.