The ten acts in Britain's Got Talent 2009 have taken to the stage in this year's final - with the competition hotter than ever. And all eyes were on the contest favourite Susan Boyle, amid recent stories that she was ready to quit the competition after suffering from the extreme pressure of her fame. However she defied her critics by delivering a flawless performance of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables, the song which she sang at her original audition. "I absolutely adore you," Simon told her, "you had the courage to come back here tonight, face your critics and beat them." Amanda, meanwhile, added that Cowell had a tear in his eye while watching her performance. "You've had a very difficult week," Piers said, "and I kept thinking all you have to do to answer all your critics is walk down that stage to that microphone, sing the song we all fell in love with and sing it better than last time." "That to me was the greatest performance I've seen in Britain's Got Talent history, you should win this competition. I loved you." Also wowing the judges was 10-year-old Hollie Steel, who bounced back after dramatically forgetting the words to her song in Friday's semi-final. "The trouble is, Hollie, you made half the audience cry," Piers told her after she had delivered an emotive rendition of Somehow Here Again from Phantom Of The Opera. "It's only fair that I talk to you like an adult," Simon said. "Taking everything into account, you were fantastic. Seriously." It was a good night all round for the younger performers, with 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi, who sang Michael Jackson's Who's Loving You, winning raves. "You have a great chance of winning this whole thing," Simon told him. But he wasn't quite so complimentary about street dancer Aidan Davis, who won Friday's semi-final. "I don't think you were as good as you were last night," Simon said. Teenage singer Shaun Smith was another who went back to his original audition song, performing the classic Ain't No Sunshine, and winning warm praise. "You've ticked every box," Amanda concluded, "you are sexy and cool, you are fantastic." Sallie Lax, one half of the grandfather/daughter singing duo 2 Grand, also won praise for her performance - although granddad John Neill slipped up when he missed his cue to begin singing. Nonetheless the panel were kind - although admitted they didn't stand much chance of winning. "There are other more talented acts," Simon told them, "but I'm glad you're in the final." However John said that just getting to that stage was enough. "It's pulled me out of a low point in my life, it really has," he said. Meanwhile Stavros Flatley scored themselves a standing ovation - and were an especially big hit with Amanda, following a Riverdance inspired routine which left them breathless. "If I could come on stage and kiss you I would," she said. "I love you and I want you to win this show." The two dance groups in the final, Flawless and Diversity, also proved popular. Flawless, who kicked off the show, performed an energetic routine to a medley of Michael Jackson songs and had the judges on their feet for the first time that evening. "From the minute we saw you you have not put a foot wrong - that was incredible," Simon said. Diversity, meanwhile, added some humour to their routine by dressing up three of their members as judges' red buzzers and incorporating it into the performance. "If we were awarding marks out of ten this is the only performance I would give a ten to," Simon told them. The final act of the evening was saxophone player Julian Smith, who reprised his performance of Somewhere from West Side Story - his original audition song. "I'm just so happy," he told the audience. "I've stood backstage watching all these fantastic acts and knowing I'm last to perform." Piers said it was the "perfect way to end the night". "It says everything about the show that I'd like it to say," he added. "Julian, you did it," Simon said. "It was a perfect choice of song."
