Britain's Got Talent: 12-year-old stuns judges!
Viewers have had a chance to see the moment when a 12-year-old singer wowed both judges and audience as the Britain's Got Talent auditions continue. Ronan Parke won himself a standing ovation from the crowd and judges Michael McIntyre, Amanda Holden and Louis Walsh - who was standing in for David Hasselhoff - after he left them stunned with his rendition of the Nina Simone classic Feeling Good. And he was reduced to tears after all of them raved about his performance and voted him unanimously through to the next round. "Oh my goodness, Ronan, that was ace. I can’t believe how fantastic that was, congratulations," Amanda Holden told him. And the others agreed. "Ronan you said you took a day off school and I wouldn't bother going back' Michael added. "You're a little star. You've taken a room and blown the roof off it! It was fantastic, congratulations." Another youngster who impressed the judges was seven-year-old Olivia Binfield, who recited a poem about endangered animals while wearing a boa constrictor around her neck. And despite Michael's initial concern, asking if she could breathe, the schoolgirl got a big thumbs up for her efforts. "You did so well and it was quite a shock for all of us with that snake on your neck," Michael said. "But you delivered it brilliantly and it’s great you have such a passion at such a young age." Louis Walsh agreed. "I think you’re really brave to come out on this stage number one and then to come on with a snake...you got the message out there loud and clear and to hear it from a seven year old is amazing." Also making it through was 66-year-old singer Herbie Armstrong, who started off on rocky ground after attempting to perform his own composition but faring far better when he opted instead to sing Van Morrison's Have I Told You Lately? "You’ve got a really good heart and I can feel that this is your last shot," Amanda said. I thought you did a really good job.I think you can do a better job, but you did a great job." Also making it through were the kung-fu kicking Bollywood dancers TKD Remix - who won a place in the next round despite failing to impress Michael - and Out Of The Blue, a group of Oxford university students who had the audience in stitches with their comic mash-up of Lady Gaga 's Bad Romance and Justin Timberlake's Sexyback. "Guys when you walked out I thought we had a very serious choral society from Oxford, going to sing a big anthem and then you did Lady Gaga," Louis told them. "It was very funny, original and I think the Royal Family need to see this." And aeroplane cleaner Tracy Moran made her mark on the show with her chaotic dance routine during which she spent more time hitching up her trousers than actually dancing. Nonetheless the audience loved her, as did the judges. "Tracey when you walked on I thought we needed to change everything and now I want you to change nothing!" Michael said while Amanda added, "I think that today you are going to leave with two and a half thousand new friends. That was unexpected and brilliant."
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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.