The pop-bhangra dance duo Signature came second in yesterday’s finale of Britain’s Got Talent, in front of a television audience of over 13 million viewers, guaranteeing them pop stardom for a long time to come.

But 14-year-old George Sampson from Warrington scooped the £100,000 prize money as well as a slot at this year’s Royal Variety Performance in December.

But the two performers behind Signature were not entirely disappointed, saying their act was about promoting Britain’s multicultural talents.

“Our routine is about togetherness and overcoming conflict,” said 29 year old Suleman Mirza, a Jackson fan since he was six years old. “I start the act with a Western dance, and then Madhu comes on stage. I look down on him because I don’t understand his culture. But he surprises me, and he works really hard, symbolising immigration, and then we work together, and show that everyone can get on.”

In a recent interview Madhu Singh said: “Right now, you put the news on and it seems like it’s just stabbings everywhere in Britain. I hope that we and all the kids and other acts on the show demonstrate that Britain does have potential, and should be great. Sikhs are not just taxi drivers, and I want people to understand that. Neither of us has ever dreamed of playing down our religions.”

Suleman added: “People see headlines when they hear the words ‘Muslim’, and probably rightly so. I understand that some of the minority groups in the Muslim community haven’t made things easy for people like myself, who are moderate Muslims. But back in April, at the audition, I was proud to go out in front of the audience in my Muslim headwear.”

While Suleman is a trainee lawyer from Essex, 34-year-old Madhu Singh works at PC World in Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

The two met at a talent show audition at Westminster University 8 years ago and have become best friends since.

“We’ve been dreaming about this chance for more than 20 years,” Suleman says. “I’ve been pretending to be Michael Jackson since I was two, while Madhu used to creep downstairs at night, put on the Bollywood films and learn to dance to them, so I think we do deserve this.”

But while Madhu Singh wants to pursue dancing and performing further, Suleman Mirza said he was planning to go back to work on Monday. On his Facebook profile he lists himself as one of the world’s most prolific Michael Jackson tribute artists.

Singh said before the show: “Even if this doesn’t work out, we will stay together, and we will never give up.”

Their final performance