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Britains Got Talent - a stuck escapologist and Blackpool |
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Written by Telly Addict
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Friday, 25 April 2008 |
Weeek three of Britain's Got Talent sees Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan off to Blackpool
It's week three of the Britain's Got Talent audition tour and for the first time ever the Judges visit the home of variety and end of pier acts, Blackpool. In Britain's Got Talent the acts are all competing to perform live in front of HRH Prince of Wales at this year's Royal Variety Performance and a £100,000 cash prize.
So what did the judges have to say about Blackpool?
Piers Morgan - "We've never been to Blackpool, it's the home of British variety and I can't wait." Amanda Holden - "I think this year's winner could come from Blackpool." Simon Cowell - "I'm excited, Blackpool is our version of Las Vegas, it has to be brilliant." With the Judges hopes so high let's hope Blackpool doesn't disappoint.
An eight year old with bags of confidence
Alex Lees may only be 8 but he is not at all worried about performing in front of the judges. "I'm going to knock Simon Cowell dead, I'm going to strut my stuff and show them what I can do!" he tells Ant & Dec. Alex is going to sing to the Judges today and as he explains to them he discovered he had star quality after he entered a Pontins competition at 18 months old, "I won bonny baby twice".
Alex sings Robbie and Kylie's hit Kids, but the Judges don't seem impressed with his singing voice and are quick to buzz him out. Although Alex has tried his best, the Judges are saying a definite no to the singing but invite him back for a second audition but this time to return as a comic and not a singer. With a second chance, Alex heads off home with his Mum to practice some new material.
I blame my husband Roy
Next on stage is 74 year old dinner lady Brenda Isaacs from Hulton. Brenda has been singing in the pubs and clubs for years, armed with a home-made CD prepared by her husband Roy. Brenda compares herself to Britney Spears and tells the judges that she is going to sing Somewhere Over The Rainbow, but as the backing track starts, prepared by husband Roy, it's definitely not Somewhere Over The Rainbow that starts playing, "try track 3, you've got the wrong one" shouts Brenda to Ant & Dec backstage. Eventually they get the right track cued up, but unfortunately the Judges are quick to buzz. "how do you think it went" asks Simon, "not well" says a dejected Brenda. But as an audience member shouts out to try track 6 Dec runs on stage to try and rescue the audition for Brenda. Track 6 plays and it's Unchained Melody, Brenda launches in to another ear piercing rendition but once again the Judges are not impressed with the buzzers going off in quick succession.
Bad day in Blackpool
So far Blackpool has been anything other than a hit as act after act fails to impress, "it's like end of the pier, that quality act we are seeing," says Piers, "Yes, rubbish", agrees Simon. Not one act has made it through so far and although Amanda is confident it will get better Simon is not happy.
Next up to try and rescue Blackpool's reputation is husband and wife act Sam and Vicky Lane, otherwise known as Vizage. For years Vizage have been doing their quick change act in the pubs and clubs around Blackpool but it's not left them much time for family life. Their quick change act is obviously a hit with the crowd and even Simon looks impressed, that is until Vicky starts to sing Madonna's classic Material Girl. With an impressive seven changes of outfit from Vicky the audience is cheering them along, but Simon Cowell, never slow on bursting someone's bubble points out that "if you had come out here and just sang that song you would have lasted five seconds, you are not a very good singer". Sam and Vicky look dejected and the Judges won't let the point go. So they are given an option, "if you promise not to sing again we will put you through", but Vicky and Sam are determined to stand by their act. Will Sam and Vicky agree to ditch the singing element of their act to make it through to the next round or will they stand by what they believe is a good act?
The escapologist who can't escape
As the auditions in Blackpool limp on it is turning into one of the worst Britain's Got Talent audition days ever. And things don't get any brighter when the next act, Nicky Flash a comedy entertainer and wannabe escapologist from Blackpool takes to the stage. Nicky Flash calls on three audience members to chain him into a sack, only to be left flailing around the stage stuck, leaving Simon to summon the Red Cross to his aid, who think the best way to deal with Nicky is to drag him off stage, much to the hilarity of Ant & Dec.
From Tesco to the big stage?
Can the last act of the day in Blackpool, singing duo Per Diem singing Crowded Houses track Falling At Your Feet, turn it around and finally put a smile on the face of the Judges? Best friends Graeme Garton and Terry Woods both work in Tescos and they are hoping this opportunity could change their lives forever. Graham and Terry have been best friends since they were six and they both have a dream to leave their day jobs behind and sing on stage doing what they love. Could this be the first act to make it through to the next stages, from what has been a very depressing day in Blackpool?
Then the judges leave the gloom of Blackpool behind and head to more auditions in London
Michael Jackson meets Bhangra
The first act on stage in London is Suleman Mirza, a lawyer by day and a Michael Jackson impersonator by night. Suleman moonwalks his way around the stage, to the delight of the audience, and Simon. All is going well until someone (Madhu Singh) walks past Ant & Dec and makes his way onto stage armed with a broom, "heah come back, get off stage" shouts Dec and the audience and the Judges all seemed puzzled as to what is going on, until the two start a Bhangra/Michael Jackson dance off, bringing the whole theatre to its feet. Have we just seen the potential winners of the show? The audience certainly seem to think so.
Will it be second time lucky for Alex?
In Blackpool, 8 year old Alex Lees from Manchester failed to impress the Judges with his singing, but they were impressed with the cheeky lads humour, so Alex is back hoping that this time his stand up comic routine will get him through to the next round.
A blast from the past
Last year George Sampson, 14, from Warrington wowed the Judges with his own unique street dancing, but just missed out on a place in the semi-finals. A year older, and now about 5 inches taller, George is back determined to prove that this year he can make it. George has a real passion for dance, and even though his Mum can't afford to pay for lessons, George spends his time dancing on the streets of Manchester for cash to pay for them. And this lad is truly dedicated to his love of dance practising for four hours on a week day, five hours on a Saturday and up to eleven hours on a Sunday all in the hope that he can one day fulfil his dream of dancing professionally. Simon last year described George as "Fantastic" but what will this year's appraisal be?
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