The auditions for Britain’s Got Talent arrived in Tunbridge Wells last week… and staff had no need to beat back the crowds.
Each Saturday when the show goes out on ITV, ten million people tune in to watch. So when it was announced that the talent of Tunbridge Wells would be given their shot at the big time, long queues outside the Assembly Hall were expected.
ITV said it anticipated ‘hundreds’ of hopefuls, but in the end those who turned up could be counted as ‘dozens’. Thames, the production company behind Britain’s Got Talent, were unable to provide exact figures.
Members of the press were the only people present at the 4pm opening of the doors, followed almost an hour later by a small number of budding performers.
Eventual arrivals, who proved there are those with talent, included a magician hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Richard Jones, along with alternative musician Bradley Osborne from Maidstone, and nine-year-old trumpet player Eleanor McKenzie-Jones from Hildenborough. Her mother, Sarah, said: “She only decided yesterday that she was going to audition.”
Eleanor planned to perform a rendition of ‘Feeling Good’ in her bid to make it to next year’s judges’ auditions.
Also in the line-up was band of three ‘Lucie’ from Tunbridge Wells. Aged between 16 and 17, all are students at St Gregory’s School. Alex Cavanna, Tom Fish and Amy Lewis performed a song they had written themselves.
The band spoke of their dreams to play their own ‘headline shows’ – having previously performed as a support act at The Forum.
