Diversity Triumphs On Britain's Got Talent
But Susan Boyle Grabs the Headlines Once Again
Jun 2, 2009
So dance act Diversity came top on the night. Did the best act win? Naturally everyone has their personal favourite – the “aaaah” factor was provided by Hollie Steel and grandfather/granddaughter duo 2 Grand, comedy from Stavros Flatley, and the teenage girls were all meant to swoon over Shaun Smith. None of them were expected to win, and sure enough they didn’t even make the top three.
In terms of entertainment value, at least Stavros Flatley was a bit different. Their send-up of Riverdance was excellent, and not for a moment did they take themselves seriously. They appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, and the audience responded in kind. Judge Amanda Holden even admitted they were her favourite act, but alas there’s only one opinion that matters, and that of course is Simon Cowell.
Pleased With Yourself, Simon?
And doesn’t he just know it. Cowell reduced 12-year-old street dancer Aidan Davis to tears, saying his performance just hadn’t “moved on enough”, despite Davis having less than 12 hours to prepare, as he had only just got through Friday’s semi-final. Of course he was “just being honest, speaking to you as an adult, not a child”, but it certainly was a not-very-subtle way of steering the voting towards the favourites. All the dance acts seemed pressed into coming up with new routines, while the singers were permitted to redo previous numbers.
Stavros Flatley very nearly beat saxophonist Julian Smith to a place in the final three. According to the Britian’s Got Talent website, Smith received 16.4% of the vote, while the father/son duo got 16.3%. Smith gave another accomplished performance, woolly hat once again firmly in place. It’s unclear whether this is meant to be his trademark, or he’s worried about a receding hairline; at least he should have no worries about his talent after his final appearance.
Diversity’s main rivals, Flawless, certainly went all out on production – a complete street scene including a car on stage, their very own newspaper headline, and of course co-ordinating outfits. Their choice of music (Michael Jackson) was somewhat predictable, however. By contrast, Diversity had the stage to themselves, and pretty much used every square inch of it. They made the most of every second, which may have given them the edge.
Shaheen Jafargholi continued his tradition of singing love songs which were somewhat inappropriate for a 12-year-old, and looked rather buttoned-down in his shirt and tie. Perhaps he thought show tunes were the way to go, as they had certainly worked for Susan Boyle. There was no doubting the strength of his voice, but it was all a bit polished, a bit stage-school professional.
Should Susan Boyle Have Performed?
So where did it all go wrong for Susan? Were the public simply tired of seeing and hearing about her, and the backlash duly kicked in? Was she wise to sing the same song she did for her original audition? Did that flash of leg at the end “confirm” the stress and pressure she was allegedly under all week; perhaps she was not in a fit state to appear at all and was forced into it because she was under contract? The rumors and speculation will continue for weeks. But yet again, the judges and the audience were on their feet after the performance.
Will the Queen be impressed by Diversity at the Royal Variety Performance? Perhaps she’s a secret street dance fan, courtesy of Prince William or Prince Harry. Unfortunately the winners are now being pushed off the front page by yet more stories of an “exhausted and emotionally drained” Susan Boyle, now recovering at the Priory Clinic. Take a look at the monster you have created, Simon – perhaps next year’s contestants will not be thrown to the wolves in pursuit of revenue and ratings.
