I like to watch the show with different people. It gives me an insight into what they are thinking and what grabs their attention.
This week, I was staying with my good friends Jason and his wife Janine in Christchurch, and it was a completely new experience to watching it with Mum and Dad in Rotorua the week before.
Because Jason and Janine have worked in television for so long, they can be pretty harsh critics. They know exactly how it all works and what’s likely to happen next, but they were just like everyone else – you could see the delight on their faces when someone was good, and when things were bad, the pair sat further back in their armchairs!
Tamati congratulates comedian Mike King’s daughter Alex (15), after she sung her way to the next stage of the competition.
We’re beginning to see a lot of dancers come through and I know Cris [Judd] would love a dance act to win. It’s happened a few times before – a talented troupe knocked Susan Boyle off the top spot in Britain, and dancers have won a couple of times on India’s Got Talent – last year’s young champions were spectacular.
I’m yet to see another act in this show that has wowed me as much as Silhouette in episode two. The strong rugby guy, who was acting as an anchor for his tiny wife so she could do all these crazy lifts and turns, was impressive. For me, a dance act can be good, but they need the wow factor.
Rock ‘n’ roll dancers Tyrae (11) and 10-year-old Paige drew loud gasps of awe from the judges as the pair twirled and flipped through the air, clearly performing at a level beyond their years. But is it enough to win the competition? Do they have the wow factor for Tamati?
If anyone knows this, it’s Cris. Watching him dance at the start of the show was another thing altogether. You could see Jason [Kerrison] goofing around behind him – and even I tried to bust out some moves! – but he really is an absolute professional at his craft.
There were no Blue Suede Shoes in sight, but 10-year-old Fynn Ellison certainly made an impression with his acrobatic-filled, high-energy modern dance to Elvis’ hit classic. The show’s judges rewarded him with a unanimous yes.
Dancing aside, the standout performance was Noel Signal, an 84-year-old Waikanae man who sang a song from Les Misérables. I don’t think he wants to win – he just wanted his moment in the sun. That five minutes was just for him.
He’s a great lesson to those out there who stop doing stuff they love because they think they’re too old for it. Noel is living proof you’re never too old to live your dream.
Catch Tamati and the judges on New Zealand’s Got Talent on TV One, Sundays, at 7.30pm.
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