Britain's Got Talent finalist James Smith: 'I can't believe I cried on telly!'

Britain's Got Talent hopeful James Smith has revealed his embarrassment at crying on TV.

The 15-year-old singer admitted emotions got the better of him after he realised he had got through to the finals of the ITV talent show alongside dance act The Addict Initiative.

"I got quite emotional last night, which shows it means a lot to me. But I can't believe I cried on telly. That was a bit stupid," he said.

James won the public vote and wowed the judges - Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams - with his stripped-back performance of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy. Simon told him he 'absolutely nailed it', while Alesha said: "You've just got it."

"The reaction made me feel fantastic. I was so pleased with the comments and I loved every minute of it. Simon Cowell said it was his favourite act of the series so that was crazy," he said.

"I try to put my own spin on songs so that's what I tried to bring across last night. I'm so glad it all went well."

The crooner, who helps his father out on a market stall, admitted he has yet to take in his triumph. He said: "It hasn't sunk in to be honest. It was a bit of a blur. I can't even remember last night."

James admitted to having butterflies before stepping out on the stage, saying: "Waiting to go on stage, I was really nervous. I was waiting behind the stage for ages because I was the last act, so I had to jump about and get prepared. As soon as I walked on and got into it, I really enjoyed it."

As for the Britain's Got Talent final, he teased: "I've got some big things coming up. Vocally for me, it is really quite hard so I'm taking a risk for me, but risks are a good thing. It's quite a soul-y number and it's a massive number."

Asked what he would do with the £250,000 jackpot if he won the final on June 7.

"I think I'll just have a massive party. I'll just go mental," he said. "If I won it, it would mean everything to me because it's what I want to do."

The live semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent continues tonight at 7.30pm on ITV1.

 

Press Association

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.