Susan Boyle

BGT has been running for a couple of years now in the UK. Auditions are held up and down the UK and out of all those selected a final 40 semi-finalists are picked. There is always some very talented contestants, some thoroughly stupid ones and some that are just plain eccentric.

Last night, 23rd May 2009, saw the final auditions aired on TV and the 40 semi-finalists announced. Some dross got through, some peculiar people and more than a few talented artists.

The contestants are a mixture of talented people and they come from all walks of life, are all sorts of ages and may be singers. contortionists, magicians, poets and more.

This year an early contestant became a singing sensation overnight, despite having tried for success over the years. Susan Boyle was 47 when she auditioed for BGT, she is single, has suffered some problems in life and is a tremendous singer.

The audience, judges and viewers at home were wowed. Perhaps the most surprising fact was that she became phenomenal in the USA immediately. I guess much of this was because she was an unlikely star. Unassuming, a little shy, not very glamorous but with a lovely personality shining through and oh that voice.

Susan was selected to be one of the 40 semi finalists. Each group has eight BGT semi-finalists in it. Susan's group is performing live tonight, 24th May 2009 and hopefully Susan will get through to the next stage.

Just like last year the trouble is some groups have far more talented contestants than others and so it is inevitable that some great performers will fall through the net. With such a fan base hopefully Susan will go through to the the final next Weekend and ultimately win, but nothing is certain.

Each semi-finalist winning act will be selected by the voting public, Only time will tell. I will update this hub after tonights semi-final. For now Susan Boyle fever looks set to last.

It seemed apparent to me that the BGT show on TV 23rd May 2009 was filmed earlier in the year. Susan's hairy eyebrows gave the game away. When Susan first performed she came across as a sweet, funny lady who had no sense of style, ahad a great sense of humour, was a little old fashioned but had the voice of an angel.

Since her first appearance on our screens, earlier in the year, she has undergone a makeover. One thing that has vanished is those ever so bushy eyebrows.

Don't get me wrong I am not passing comment either way. However I suppose to attract the voting public Susan needed to glam up a little. However I think part of her appeal was her naive charm. We British like to see an under dog win through and up to now that is what Susan has done.

From the moment she walked out onto the stage, to the sniggers of some of the audience, the raised eyebrows of the judges showing a sort of disapproval and the cringes of the viewers at home, she appeared to only ever be an also ran.

Once Susan let rip though what a transformation. Her voice and her demeanour brought a tear to mine, and other viewer's eye's Once the show was over Susan was suddenly a sensation. Stars far and wide loved her, the paparazzi camped outside her home in the small Scottish village where she lived alone with her cat.

Susan has recently appeared, via video link, on Oprah Winfrey in the States and remains totally amazed that she is such a success. That tells you all you need to know about this unassuming Star.

So let's hope this underdog reaches the heady heights of success she deserves. After all the media attention it would be such a shame if she was just left to fade into obscurity.

Well this is a hard one to assess. Susan suffered from bullying at school and was nicknamed Simple Susan. Kids can be so cruel, can't they? With her confidence shattered Susan would have found life an uphill struggle.

Now that she is on the brink of success Youtube is full of videos of Susan singing, both recently and in the past. As Susan joked on BGT the only tube she had heared of, before BGT, was a tube of smarties. Susan auditioned for Michael Barrymore's My Kind Of People some time ago but nerves got the better of her back then.

Let's hope all that is behind Susan now. Good luck Susan. We are all rooting for you.

The first semi-final-Will she make it through?

Tonight's semi-final has just finished and voting lines are open for ten minutes. Well I have cast my vote and will be running off to watch the results.

The show kicked off with a great, young dance troupe and also featured a little treasure who was a ten year old singing sensation. Stand out performances were also given by a belly dancer and a violinist.

The best was saved until last and a nervous Susan hit the stage. Singing Midnight from Cats Susan hit a bum note near the beginning but this was soon left behind as.her performance went from strength to strength and the Judges and audience all loved her.

It turned out the judges votes were not counted and it is down to the voting public so get busy. When I quickly cast my vote for Susan, I had to ring a few times as voting lines were busy. Let's hope that this is a good sign and did not deter voters.

THE RESULTS

The results are just in and, yeah, Susan Boyle has gone through to next week's final. She went through on the public vote. One more act was to go through and the judges had to decide between the 2nd and 3rd place public vote. The choice was Diversity, the dance group, or the ten year old,Natalie Okri. Both were excellent but the casting vote, by Simon Cowell went for Diversity. The reason given was that they were a more viable winning act.Poor little Natalie. She was tearful and bundled off stage to her Mum no doubt.

Susan was her bubbly, ecstatic self, kidding around and doing a victory shuffle. Go Susan. Roll on next Sunday and the final.

To be continued:-

Monday night's semi-final was on the whole a poor showing. After all of those auditions and some of the great acts who did not get through the standard should have been much better.

Most of the acts were OK but that was it. Just OK and nothing special. Dance troupe Flawless were voted through by the public, and the judges chose Shaun Smith to go through over a ventriloquist.

At just 17 Shaun Smith will no doubt have a long career to come. Will he win BGT when it comes to the final, I do not know. At present it is Susan Boyle and Shaun Smith, and a further two finalist will go through on Tuesday26th May.

Well Simon said that this show could be a train wreck and he was not wrong. There were some pretty average acts. Three stood out from the crowd, all for different reasons. In the end father and son comedy act Stavros Flatley took the viewers vote. This chubby duo were simplicity itself but very funny. I think that they won partially as their mutual love was so touching. This left a hard job for the judges as the two runner up acts were both excellent. Young Shaheen went through in the end and deservedly so. 12 years old he gave a mature performance apart from the tears when the dance troupe went out.

Shaheen could be serious competition for Susan.

There is no semi-final on Wednesday dut to the football. The next semi will be televised on 28th May 2009.

Fourth Semi-Final Thursday 28th May 2009

Thursday's semi-final was a strange affair. On the whole the acts were all good but there was no one stand out performer. The cool saxophone player is good and the young lad singing songs from favourite Disney films was entertaining. The 73 old hip hop dancer was embarrassing to watch but the grandad and his grand-daughter were much better than in the auditions. The dog act was cute but was not up to winning standard and the lady with the big boobs was also entertaining.

The result of the viewers vote saw the saxophone player go through. This left two grand the two relatives and the young boy as the two running up acts. Two grand were put through by the judges. The final, semi-final is Friday and the big day approaches.

Fifth and last of the semi-finals Friday 29th May 2009

As expected the very talented young dancer was the viewers choice this evening. The rest was a bit of a bad job. Ultimately the judges selected the little girl who had burst into tears and been unable to finish her song. They praised her for coming back and singing again and said that she went through over the other runner up because she gave a better performance. Surprise, surprise.

Of course no-one else was allowed a second chance so this was nonsense. Let's hope she does not get the sympathy vote on Saturday. Harsh you may think but in the cold light of day the panel of judges will find it hard to disagree.

So that is the end of BGT for 2009 except for the final. There are ten acts through to perform tomorrow, Saturday 30th May 2009. Only time will tell.

Did Susan Boyle win Britain's Got Talent 2009? Watch this space.

No Susan came second. The winners were a sharp dance troupe. It was the first time Susan looked relaxed and able to be her familiar jokey self. I guess some have taken her wacky humour for arrogance but how wrong they are. Her warm personality shone through as she said that Diversity were the deserving winners of BGT.

Where will Susan go from here?

The media have reported today, 3rd June 2009. that Susan is suffering from exhaustion and nothing more. Simon Cowell has offered a firm recording deal for Susan. The choice will be hers to make once she is well again. Hopefully we have not heard the last of Susan. President Obhama has invited Susan to perform for the 4th July celebrations. Hopefully she will be well enough by then to dazzle everyone a little more.

To be continued

Thursday 28th May 2009

It has been reported on national news in the UK today that Susan has threatened to quit BGT,pack her bags and return home. Such is the nature of her fame, that she makes the national news. Susan's threats appear to be down to press and public pressures.

I guess the hype was bound to cause Susan problems. Nasty comments abound the Internet on places such as Twitter. Susan will have to harden up, ignore the morons and just be herself.

Let's hope she stays and sees BGT through. One way or another she has a future but she has to keep the faith.

Monday 1st June 2009

It was sad to see images of an exhausted looking Susan on the TV today, as she was being taken off to hospital. The night of the final and the days of press harassment must have taken their toll. Susan's learning difficulties had generally been forgotten during the BGT contest but of course made her extra susceptible to feeling the strain. Here's hoping she gets well soon. Her many fans can't wait to see her back to her bubbly self.

Friday 5th June 2009

One of Susan's brothers has today confirmed that Susan is now out of the Priory where she was taken for rest, after it was plain that she was suffering from exhaustion. She is resting in London whilst she decides which offers to take up. Go girl.

Friday 12th June 2009

The Britain's Got Talent UK tour opened today. Controversy continued to surround Susan Boyle as even at lunchtime it was unclear whether or not she would perform. However she did and proved her doubters wrong. In a flawless performance she wowed the Birmingham audience and confirmed just why she is so popular. Susan rightly received a standing ovation and hopefully will now go from strength to strength.

17th September 2009

Following Susan Boyle's arrival at LA airport and her subsequent mobbing by fans Susan made her American Television debut. It looks like those sad days toward the end of Britain's Got Talent, when she was unwell, are well and truly behind her now. Susan looks set to achieve the fame she deserves, at least at that side of the Atlantic. I have no doubt though that her army of fans in the UK will buy her debut album which is due to be released shortly and make it a hit. Go Susan.