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Lungs Of Steel: Meet The Newest 'Britain's Got Talent' Sensation

Posted Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:40am PDT by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks

I don't know about you, but I'm already sick of Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent. And I don't even live in Britain! I've just reached my Boyling point with her.

Well, it does seem now that the population of Britain agrees with me, at least, because U.K. viewers' fickle attention has already turned first to younger and cuter 12-year-old Britain's Got Talent hopeful Shaheen Jafargholi (see more on him here), and then, as of last night, to the even younger and cuter 10-year-old singing ballerina, Hollie Steel.

Hollie's performance on Britain's runaway-hit talent show is the latest Interweb sensation after airing on U.K. television yesterday, and along with the obvious ongoing decrease in age and increase in adorableness among BGT contestants, I notice another pattern here.

See, each of the standout contestants on Britain's Got Talent at first fake out the judges--Susan by making them think she's some socially awkward wannabe William Hung with that "never been kissed" comment; Shaheen by initially going with the wrong song before being ordered by Simon Cowell to sing a more suitable Jackson 5 tune instead; Hollie by executing some dubious beginner-ballet-class recital moves.

But then these contestants open their mouths and sing, sing, SING...and the judges put on Emmy-worthy acting performances (or whatever the equivalent of the Emmy is over in the U.K.), bugging their eyes out, dropping their jaws to the floor, and pretending that they had no idea that the Brit before them actually had talent until this very televised moment. Puh-leeze.

Anyway, whether or not this has all been staged, it's a classic reality-TV tactic that worked winningly for Susan and Shaheen, and now those poor contestants have been upstaged by Lancashire tutu-tot Hollie, for whom this fakeout formula has possibly been most successful so far.

"We have seen a lot of children on our show over the past three series and I have never heard any of them sing as well as you do," raved judge Piers Morgan last night. (Sorry, Shaheen!)

But of course, it's only a matter of time before Hollie Steel is upstaged as well. So check out her BGT audition below, prepare for her to reach a positively Octo-Mom-esque level of international media saturation in the next week...and then steel yourself for next week, when someone even cuter and younger than Hollie (a particularly charismatic zygote, maybe?) comes around to "shock" Simon and Piers and steal the Britain's Got Talent spotlight once again.

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3310 Comments

81. Sammy -
Lyndsey Parker, sorry you don't like Boyle. Stop writing about her then, because you just foster the interest in her. Personally, I think it is fine with all the interest because who would expect a 40+ year old woman who can sing like that to never take advantage of that talent?

In the case of this girl, she also can sing - good for her. Perhaps both of them will be in the final.

82. Yahoo! Music User -
people please look to ur side and ask your self do u really want to keep watching these shows

83. little jack 62 -
The singers from Britain are just as good and the USA and I was born in the US I still think they have just as much talent as the US.
Go Great Britain
OH my Mother was born and raisd there and she had a golden voice to.

84. ElizabethG -
Is this year like when the beatles took america by storm. This girl and susan boyel are sensational. America,s got talent Has very few that wows us. It must be in the britain water.

85. Leah -
I think Hollie is better than Boyle

86. Yahoo! Music User -
hola peeps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

87. Cecil -
These contests can be boring and even stupid sometimes, but the talent like this Hollie Steele is worth the wait. It is a shame when someone is "lost" to the public for years as with Susan Boyle. Even having to listen to Simon! (Doesn't he favor Susan?) Maybe just the eyebrows...

88. -
The whole thing is staged.....

89. Vickiew -
I am from the US and my heart is filled with so much joy when I hear undiscovered talent given the opportunity to be heard all over the world. These talent reality shows have really proven that you do not have to have a NAME or KNOW someone to be able to make it into becoming an amazing ARTIST.

90. susanne -
No I don't think this Britain's Talent is getting old. In fact it is really good. I love it. That little girl was amazing. In days like today and in these economic hardships, and my family enduring stress as well, it is nice to watch shows like this. Way to go little one.

91. Yahoo! Music User -
If there's grass on the infield, play ball!

92. Annabelle R -
WHY PICK ON ANYONE, THEY ARE ALL GOOD SINGER'S, CAN'T PEOPLE BE FAIR, IS IT SO HARD TO BE NICE TO THOSE WHO DESERVE IT, EVERYONE NEDS A CHANCE, WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE ARE YOU GIVING THE YOUNG ONE'S. BE NICE.

ANNIE ROWE

93. alexis -
...gay

94. Yahoo! Music User -
That show is so gloriously overproduced. It's like it's already been aired and is being re-capped, but somehow it's a show inside a movie, where every second has theatrical soundtrack orchestration behind it. WOW.

95. AShep -
I also thought Simon's reaction was priceless...
The reason why these people are recognized is because they are great singers, doesn't matter where they're from.

96. Nelida -
she is jus wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!

97. Lori -
she is cute, but wat if it IS staged? how retarded would that be?

98. Rick Hibben -
Honestly, I think that we should can America's got talent and let us watch Britain's got talent. I have been on You Tube so much lately, just looking for clips from the Brit's show.

99. Sun shine -
shaheen still wins..

100. Donna Marie -
What a voice!
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