We caught the opening episode of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent on catch-up TV. A genuine attempt to discover the best (and worst) amateur talent that Blighty has to offer, or a cynical commercial exercise in crass oversentimentality? Probably both and so what? It was brilliant. From the weird to the truly wonderful, the eccentric to the frankly insane, we lapped up every last drop.
First to have us on the edge of our IKEA sofa was a duo of male, married (to each other) ballroom dancers called the Sugar Dandies. Their sweet dance of love had the audience swaying in the stalls and cheering from the aisles. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Then came the Welsh all-teenage boys choir from the Valleys called Only Boys Aloud (get it?). Their sublime rendition of a traditional Welsh folk song brought the stunned crowd to its feet and sent shivers down my spine. Who says the only thing the so-called illiterate teenagers of Blighty do these days is shag, take drugs and riot?
The soaring triumph was Jonathan, a shy, overweight 17 year man with big hair, clumsy demeanour and self-esteem in the sewer. Charlotte, his pretty singing companion had to virtually drag him on stage. After a slightly shaky start, jaws dropped as hesitant tenor met pretty pop voice. The hairs at the back of neck stood up in tribute. Fabulous.
Cue the videos (if you get an error, just click into You Tube)
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