I am not a fan of reality shows like Big Brother or I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here but I do love the talent shows like The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and those that were produced by Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber where the likes of Lee Mead (Joseph) and Jodie Prenger (Oliver) were chosen by the public with the guidance of expert opinions. The concept behind these talents were genious because not only do they raised oodles of cash for the producers but also somewhat guarantees a level of popularity with public especially since the winners are to take on careers that depends a lot on public approval. After all, it is the public who buys the album and tickets for the show. Shining examples of these is Lee Mead (again) as the successful lead in the musical Joseph and Leona Lewis, 2006 winner of The X Factor, who had a single top both the UK and US charts — something that other artists still aspire to achieve.

What annoys me about these talent competitions is when, at times, the contestants present a sad life story and expect the public to vote for them because of it. There are several instances of these on the Britain’s Got Talent show. During the last series, there was this little boy who (apparently) got bullied a lot. Okay, sad sniff-sniff but what impressed me was not about his sad tale but his talent! This boy could sing opera, big time! Not sure what had happened to him, whether he ended up in the finals or winning it but to me, I will remember him as that boy with an amazing voice for opera.

In the current series of The X Factor, Daniel Evans is a bloke who lost his wife. This prompted him to audition as he claims that it had always been his wife’s prodding when she was still alive. In my opinion, Daniel can sing but I don’t believe his voice got the qualities of a recording artist. As for his image, he looks very much like Ricky Gervais, which still do not bear to be in the same lineup as the great male solo artists. To me, he is mediocre.

It was then to my big surprise and shock last Saturday to see him saved for another week in the competition. And it was Laura White who got booted out. Poor girl! For those of you who are reading this outside of the UK, here is a video clip of this young woman with a fantastic voice. I’m also placing a clip of Daniel’s performance last Saturday. After you’ve seen it, tell me if you think it is fair that she is no longer in the competition but Daniel is.

It is true (and I agree) that these unfortunate circumstances help us get the courage needed to overcome fears and disappointment. Nevertheless, it is a talent competition and people should see that instead of the soppy story. After all, would their sad story cross your mind when you see their album or single on the shelves? Would you part with your hard-earned money to buy someone’s recordings because you feel sorry for them? Perhaps buskers in the tube should begin their performances with a story of their lives. That way, they could solicit more money.

There was another shocker last weekend but this time on the dancing competition, Strictly Come Dancing so I urge you to switch over to my dance blog — LET’S GO DANCING! — for what happened.