Bullying is quite subjective, though. Considering he looked like a shy little kid who is already self-conscious of singing then if someone thinks they're joking it could really upset him, he didn't mean it and to an outsider it might look innocuous but if it upsets the kid...

I can't think someone who's got as far as being a head chorister in a cathedral doesn't have the self confidence, but if he's in a normal school he probably is surrounded by kids who don't sing and if he's still walking around with high voice then he might easily be a target and seen as an oddity... Whatever...

Only one person knows if he's affected by it and that's him.

Gareth is Amazing .. ok we dont know what really goes on , but I loved it when he swore because of his frustration ,


and good for you for being in the choir

I have mentioned to my son that he is lucky to be the only BOY in the choir
1 he gets all the Male voice parts
and
2 he has all the girls to himself lol

Lol.

Well, it shows Gareth Malone was normal He did well, considering what he had to work with was natural talent as opposed to anything coached.

And your son should keep singing. It's needed

Aled Jones voice didn't break until he was 16...

So where were the sob stories for the other acts?

I thought it was clear that this had all been set up and the judges knew exactly what he was going to say about being bullied.
It all looked pre-rehearsed and set up for the show.

Yes he was a very good singer and may deserve to win. But there's no denying that this was set up television and the boy was deliberately being primed to be a finalist before he even started singing.
It was as though before he even sang somebody to do with the show told him beforehand to talk about his bullying. It was just so mechanical the way he just blurted out to the judges that he'd been bullied in a 'Oh, by the way, before I start singing I've got something to tell you first' type of manner.

Yes I think Andrew is his name,and he seemed to be a shy kid.His performance was the last before the program finished.I would say more people were watching then than at the beginning or in the middle of yhe show.He definitely has a chance of winning.

Yes, and I was 14. Ben Crawley was 17. Some go at 11. It varies.

Hmm yes, if he can control his nerves. He looked like he was about to be sick before he went on :S

Forest I sent you a PM check up there ^ lol

Yeah I saw, but I'm on lappy and the desktop's playing Handel in 24-bit splendour!

Leonardo DiCaprio was 18.

I actually feel sorry for the poor child.

He's only goikng to get exploited on a programme like this. Can't he just be happy being a chorister. Can't stand choral music anyway, and I always think it quite bizarre that children sing this sort of stuff. I'm not surprised he gets bullied. Does he have parents? I missed the sob story.

I think a singer will always win this - purely because variety is dead and singers have more chance of having some sort of career.

I thought he was excellent, though I'm not really into that choirboy sort of music.

He was good but that's overegging the pudding.

He was one of the very good acts on last night but that's all, only one of them. There were three that were better in my opinion.

He has a nice voice but he's a chorister and his voice is no better and no worse than any other chorister I've ever heard. He also lacks any other appeal. That was probably why they started playing on the sob story.

It was a definite set up for the sob story angle. Simon said ''do your friends support you".

amazing! moved me to tears

I agree with your sentiments exactly - he was a good singer but that's all - no star quality although Paul Potts didn't have either I can't be doing with yet another sob story like Paul had (and Leon from XF) I would prefer someone to win because they're the most talented.

I hope someone other than a singer wins this year though, it would make it more interesting - I'm rooting for the dog, lol!

:yawn:

So you don't like it, therefore no one else should sing it? Blimey. No wonder classical music suffers so if parents have your attitude. Shame on you.

Good voice but I hate the sob stories, they're just annoying.

Why do people have to be so rude on these threads:
Give the lad some credit, At least he had the guts to stand up and do it, And it was a note perfect performance. Well done Andrew!!!!! And good luck throughout the rest of the heats x

A kid who is head chorister and sings infront of big audiences, a kid who plays rugby is shy?

One sentance from him about bullying and everyone says Ah and gives him they sympathy vote

If he was being bullied I just wonder why it wasnt reported in the numerous local interviews in the media

It seems quite convenient it was brought up on national TV when it would appeal to the gullible

yes it was a nice performance

only to me and IMO ruined by the sob story

OMG I am watching the re-run of BGT and I have cried all over again

Big audiences? Maybe not. Carlisle Cathedral is tiny - it's (behind St Davids) the 2nd smallest in the country. Playing rugby - well, maybe that's the sport they play at school. You can read anything into that.

What about Gareth Gates - similar situation, he could sing but he was nervous talking on TV so stammered. And Gates was a former head chorister (at Bradford Cathedral) so it's not about that. Quite often these kids are in a comfort zone with a routine which they're used to and take them out of that and it can make them nervous.

He can still be shy even if he does that, he looked a bit edgy until he started singing.

Don't really understand why the bullying would be reported. There's still no excuse to pick on a kid because he sings anyway.

It would be a sob story if the kid didn't have talent as well, definitely, but he should go far on merit.

As long as the bullying story isnt dragged up all the time, then its fine IMO.

Well, he should go where he does on his merit not because some silly CLKs bully him for being a choirboy.