TELEVISION’S Mr Nasty, Simon Cowell, denied a Britain’s Got Talent final spot to an Oxfordshire couple whose musical love story with bells on won the hearts of millions.

Wallingford handbell ringers Gay and Alan Cooper’s hi-octane take on Phantom of the Opera propelled them to a top-three spot in Wednesday’s semi-final.

But the bell tolled for the duo’s chances when the music mogul said he had to bring the ITV show “back to planet earth”.

The couple yesterday said they had no regrets, after propelling their art form into the stratosphere through their live TV performance.

Mrs Cooper, 52, said: “We were exhausted after the show, but certainly not deflated.

“We have had the opportunity to play handbells in front of millions of people who probably have not heard them before, and had so many positive comments from people, including Ant and Dec.”

“There are a lot of ringers who have been ringing for years and some of them are extremely good, but we have certainly got more exposure for handbells than ever before.

“We hope we have helped bring them from being a niche instrument into the mainstream.”

Baywatch star David Hasselhoff and comedian Michael McIntyre both backed 11-year-old autistic ballet dancer James Hobley, while actress Amanda Holden said the Queen would love to see the bellringers.

That left Cowell with the deciding vote.

He said: “I’m just imagining people tuning in, they don’t know what is going on, and hearing that mad bell-bellringing.

“In the end, there was just too many bells.”