Jai forgoes girlfriend for 'what happens next'

Jai forgoes girlfriend for 'what happens next'
Jai forgoes girlfriend for 'what happens next'

Britain's Got Talent winner Jai McDowall wants to focus on his singing career before looking for a girlfriend, he has said. The 24-year-old, who was wracked by nerves during the competition, said he is now feeling unusually 'dead calm'. And the shock winner had high praise for young favourite Ronan Parke, who he described as an 'absolute wee gentleman'. Speaking in central London wearing a denim jacket and jeans, he said: "I'm actually single at the moment. To be honest, at this point in time I need to focus on what is going to happen next and where my career is going to take me. Maybe after I'm a wee bit more settled I'll start looking, I guess." With a touch of embarrassment, the quietly spoken Scot added: "Yeah, we'll see what happens, we'll see what happens." Ronan, 12, from Norwich, hit the headlines after an anonymous internet blogger alleged Cowell had been grooming him for stardom for the past two years. The pop mogul called in the police, saying the allegations were 'complete and utter lies', while Ronan himself dismissed the blog as 'really silly'. But Jai said: "I didn't really take much notice of the papers during the last few days. I've just been focused on trying to get my performances right and pretty much living in my own little world. (Ronan) seemed absolutely fine. He took it in his stride. He's an absolute wee gentleman and I wish him all the best for whatever comes his way."

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.