Britain's Got Talent 2018.

[Jeff]

Before Joe asks about this, the semi-finals have started this week and already we have an act that looks a likely winner to me. Given the affection in which Dame Vera Lynn is held on this forum I'm sure some members will enjoy this. The D-Day Darlings tick a lot of boxes especially as it's the centenary of the end of WW1. Another big plus with British viewers is the fact that several members of the choir have family serving in the Forces (and last year's winner was a serving soldier).



and here's their audition:

[Joe]

Cheers Jeff!  I had seen a video of all the golden buzzer acts from the auditions. I really like Ant and Dec's pick, or now, Dec's pic.  

The D-Day Darlings are a wonderful act!  I have noticed quite a lot of similarlly-styled groups on both sides of the Atlantic.  We have the Puppini Sisters here and a great singer called Becki Short in the Portsmouth area of the UK.  

Thanks very for this...most appreciated...unlike The X Factor (UK), BGT does not air in America, so I am just off to watch more videos! 

Edit...America's Got Talent starts tonight.  These auditions were taped in March and April I believe. 

[Libby]

The only standouts in the AGT show tonight were the cat act at the beginning (LOL), the singing trio, and the creepy girl magic act.

[Jeff]

Edit to previous post: Lance Corporal Jones won in 2017, not 2018. (Senior moment again !)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain%27s_Got_Talent

However, move over D-Day Darlings, the class act of the week has arrived ! He's Welsh and IMHO the best tenor they've ever had as a contestant. He's certainly better than Paul Potts and if there's any justice, he'll win.
Close your eyes and you can almost imagine Andrea Bocelli ! Fantastic !



We do however have a very politically-correct final this year. One comic has cerebral palsy and uses a computer to talk (like Stephen Hawking) but his jokes aren't that good. Another has Asperger's Syndrome and his jokes are just too coarse to post here. Of course people with disabilities should have as much access to talent shows as anyone else but I don't think they should win just because they're disabled.

[Libby]

May 31, 2018 10:18:21 GMT Jeff said:

Edit to previous post: Lance Corporal Jones won in 2017, not 2018. (Senior moment again !)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain%27s_Got_Talent

However, move over D-Day Darlings, the class act of the week has arrived ! He's Welsh and IMHO the best tenor they've ever had as a contestant. He's certainly better than Paul Potts and if there's any justice, he'll win.
Close your eyes and you can almost imagine Andrea Bocelli ! Fantastic !



We do however have a very politically-correct final this year. One comic has cerebral palsy and uses a computer to talk (like Stephen Hawking) but his jokes aren't that good. Another has Asperger's Syndrome and his jokes are just too coarse to post here. Of course people with disabilities should have as much access to talent shows as anyone else but I don't think they should win just because they're disabled.

That was an outstanding performance!! I liked it very much! You're right, and I would also say he's better than any "opera singer" on AGT (as well as BGT). As you say, he's similar to Andrea, though there was a tremor in his voice that does not exist in Andrea's powerful voice, but it did not take away from his performance at all. But just since you made that comparison, I immediately made note of what was different. Also, I think perhaps Gruffyd's (how do you say that?) voice is slightly less commanding than Andrea's, but only a bit. Well, Mario Frangoulis' voice is a little less harsh than Andrea's, but he can be very powerful, passionate, and commanding, too. This guy definitely had power and passion.

While I'm making comparisons of who's the best tenor/opera singer on the talent shows... The Forte Tenors, who were in the finals on AGT several years ago, were really good, too, but they were 3 guys, so not sure if comparing them with a solo singer is really fair, and now they seem to have gone their separate ways. Their 2nd album never made it past a pledge on their website, so I still don't have it, and probably will never get it. Currently, I follow Josh and his brother Zach on social media, who together go by the Brothers Page. They release short medley clips of a couple different songs, usually top 40 songs, every week, and they're really quite good. In fact, I prefer Zach's voice to Josh's, and I wish they would put an album. I don't know if people's family members of past finalists can try out on AGT or not, but I think Zach should. Sorry if this is slightly off-topic.

[John H]

Jun 1, 2018 2:42:54 GMT Libby said:

Gruffyd's (how do you say that?)

You missed the double 'd' which changes the sound from 'd' to 'th'.

Gruffydd is the Welsh language spelling of the name Griffith.

[Jeff]

Sorry to be cynical John and Libby but I'm just working out who Mr Wyn (I keep getting his first name wrong!) will finish second to ! Probably DVJ, a junior version of a street dance group who beat Susan Boyle in 2009. It's the last semi-final tonight.

[Jeff]

Marty Putz is a brave comedian. Last night he sprayed water (I think it was water !) over the judges (the women left the arena to dry their dresses) and then wrapped Simon Cowell in toilet tissue ! I think he was trying to tell him something ! I can just imagine some of the comments on social media which can't be repeated here ! I'm all for recycling but that was a shocking waste of a toilet roll !



Mustn't laugh. Hahahaha !!
Needless to say we will not be seeing Mr Putz in the final on Sunday. Good effort though. I wonder if he could be persuaded to visit our Houses of Parliament ?

[Libby]

Okay, so I should just say Griffith?

Based on his last name, at the very least, he should wyn, I mean, win. That is, if THAT is spelled how it looks. LOL

[Jeff]

Last night 2 astonishing acrobats from Vietnam made it through. Reminded me of the song "He ain't heavy, he's my brother." Don't try this at home folks. (Look out for the deliberate stumble !).

[Jeff]

One who won't be in the final is 16 year old Amy Marie Borg from Malta but she's young and she can improve and come back next year. Lucy Kay lost out in the auditions, came back the next year and finished second and is now in the West End so it can be done.

[Jeff]

BGT 2018 was won by 37 year old from Newcastle Lee Ridley, aka "Lost Voice Man."



In second place was gay, autistic comedian Robert White who has Asperger's Syndrome which is why he keeps fidgeting which the microphone stand. Again he made a crude joke about a former politician so moderators may decide to delete this video.



It wasn't a perfect symphony for Mr Wyn as he finished outside the top 3, but then people this good never seem to win anyway !



I also enjoyed the performance of D-Day Darlings who made a perfect song choice.



The Giang Brothers did their usual scary performance with the usual deliberate error !



My abiding thought about BGT 2018 is that para athletes have the Paralympics so maybe we need a "Britain's Got ParaTalent 2019 ?"

[Joe]

Hello Jeff!

Thanks very much imdeed for posing the videos of the top acts.  I will give the lower placings a bit later. I think the runner-up's comment about Ann Widdecombe is allowable 

[Libby]

Jeff, I was thinking the same thing this evening about the "So You think you can Dance" show, which premiered its 15th season today. There was a girl with a prosthetic leg dancing, and she was fairly good considering, but a little slow and clumsy in places. Thankfully the judges didn't put her through to the next round. I agreed with this decision, but at the same time, it felt kind of sad that her disability hindered her in this way. So, the thought occurred to me that they could have a "para"-version of this show. I'm not sure how popular that sort of thing would be, but it's an idea.

I do recall that the year that ice dancer Meryl Davis won DWTS-USA (I think that's when it was), there was a "star" on with a prosthetic leg. I can't remember who she was, but I seem to recall she did fairly well.