Razy and Michael win last two spots in BGT final

Razy and Michael win last two spots in BGT final
Razy and Michael win last two spots in BGT final

Dancer Razy Gogonea and singer Michael Collings have won the last two places in the Britain's Got Talent 2011 final following Friday's semi-final. Romanian-born Razy, who wowed the judges at his original audition with his dance moves, went straight through to the final after winning the public vote. Meanwhile Michael, 19, became the last act to secure his place in Saturday's final after the judges voted unanimously for him over singing dog act Pip and Puppy, who were also in the top three. However it was a tough choice for the panel, with Simon Cowell almost refusing to choose between them. "I want them both in the final," he insisted before eventually choosing Michael on the basis that it would be "who the public want to see there". Afterwards Razy - whose 30th birthday is today - said he "couldn't believe" he had made it to the final. He faced competition on Friday from fellow dancer Michael Moral, who had previously missed out on a place in the semi-finals - but who was reinstated after Simon Cowell decided his fellow judges had made a mistake in letting him go. However French-born Michael failed to make it into the top three despite winning praise from all the judges for his performance. The other acts who took part in Friday's semi-final included Australian hula hooper Marawa, teenage rap duo Follow The Right Path, dance troupe The Celtic Colleens, husband and wife singing duo Mr and Mrs and novelty act Antonio Popeye. The latter - who won a place in the final with his eyeball popping trick - became the only act in the semi-finals to be buzzed by all four of the judges - leaving him unable to complete his performance. Amanda Holden called the act "a one-trick thing" while Simon added, "You were just standing there with your eyes open. I couldn't see them bulge at all." There was a surprise for the judges though when Jedward briefly appeared on stage during the 47-year-old's routine, singing a chorus of their Eurovision hit Lipstick. Meanwhile Simon addressed the recent rumours that the show had been fixed for 12-year-old finalist Ronan Parke to win, following claims by an anonymous blogger earlier in the week that he had been grooming the schoolboy for stardom for the past two years. The mogul dismissed the claims, saying that he had not even met Ronan before he auditioned for the show and adding, "This is a deliberate smear campaign. "It's my job to make sure this liar is exposed and Ronan is treated in the same way as everyone else, and the public will decide."

Patrick McLennan

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.