If I were the betting type...

It's Britain's Got Talent time again. This year's contest has been spiced up recently with reports that {gasp} the show is rigged! Before that, I'm telling you, this season was pretty dull. I'd guess that the show is firstly, a way for Simon Cowell to make more money; secondly, a more or less amusing TV show; and thirdly, maybe a way for the little guy to make it big. It's clearly fixed in that it is directed in a way that the Powers That Be think will be entertaining, but I find it hard to believe that Simon Cowell is stupid enough to do all he is accused of doing.

The talent picked to appear in the semi-finals should all be good, and it never is, but this year, there were not only mediocre acts but also purely terrible ones. So, we pass over the semis and go straight to the finals, tonight.

Your contestants are:

1. Paul Gbegbaje, pianist. Cute, pleasant, fine.
2. Ronan Parke, the boy singer that the stories of "fixing" centre on
3. Jean Martyn, the boogie-woogie piano queen and sole woman contestant at this point
4. New Bounce, boy singers (with a terrible name! Isn't it already used for a laundry product?)
5. James Hobley, boy dancer
6. Les Gibson, impressionist
7. Steven Hall, comedy dancer who beat out my favourite, Edward Reid
8. Jai McDowall, singer
9. Razy Gogonea, dancer -- there's a whole story about him and a similar dancer, but this guy's the one to watch now
10. Michael Collings, singer/guitarist. I think his voice has something of a Rod Stewart sound, though his presentation is completely different.

Huh, one woman in the whole show. One! That's shameful.

So, we pass over that little inconvenient fact and try to pick winners!

I would love to see Michael Collings win, or Razy, or Jai, or James, or Paul. Or, indeed, Jean.

Ronan is good, but too cutesy-slick for me; New Bounce are not as good as the Osmond Brothers of my youth; I don't get Les Gibson's jokes; Steven Hall is indeed a one-trick pony in my books.

So... I .... think it will be... I think that the winner will be.... I actually think Ronan will win, but I would love love love for Michael to win.

Now, I need a picture!

My talent is letting hostas grow in my garden!

Just a wee footnote here! I found my list of BGT contestants that I made before the semi-finals started, and I am not very proud to say that my of 10 picks for the finalists, five got through! I picked:

Razy Gogonea
Jean Martyn
James Hobley
Out of the Blue - they were robbed, I tell you!
Michael Collings
Donelda Guy - dog act, what was I thinking?
Ronan Parke
David and Karen - magician team, fantastic
Two and a Half Men - dancers, also fantastic
Edward Reid - in truth, his audition seemed to me better than his semi-final performance, but I suspect that is just because I'm more familiar with nursery rhymes than with Postman Pat and the Teletubbies. But I still love him....

Added in the evening: Jai McDowall takes it!