BGT finalist Ryan: 'It's a bit mind-blowing'
Britain's Got Talent star Ryan O'Shaughnessy has admitted he has not stopped smiling since getting through to the final. The Irish singer-songwriter won through in Thursday night's heat and promised to trust in his own talent and perform another one of his own songs. One person who will not be there to support him is the girl who inspired the moving ballad, No Name, which wowed the BGT judges in his audition. Ryan said the pair had spoken on the phone and were 'good mates', but she will miss the final because of exams. He said: "I think for the final I'll be more relaxed because I'm not really expecting anything. It feels amazing, it's a bit mind-blowing. I've had a permanent smile on my face since my name was called as the winner of the semi-final". Singing duo Jonathan and Charlotte said they never expected to get this far. Jonathan said: "We just went to have fun and all of this complete madness came out of it." Jonathan and Charlotte are still current favourites at a best price 10/11, but Pudsey the dog and his trainer Ashleigh have continued to close the gap on them. According to online betting comparison site Oddschecker.com, Pudsey and Ashleigh are now 5/2 to win, shortening from 7/2 earlier this week. Also in the final are synchronised swimmers Aquabatique, Welsh choir Only Boys Aloud and boy band Loveable Rogues. They will compete against singer Sam Kelly, Welsh dance group Nu Sxool, ballroom dancers Kai and Natalia, and 11-year-old singer Molly Rainford. The line-up will be completed on Saturday when the judging panel reveal which losing act has been given a wild card place. The winner will perform at the Royal Variety Performance and receive a cheque for £500,000.
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.