I thought Francesca's exit performance, both in the singoff and her farewell song, were excellent. She showed why she has so many supporters. I don't know why she struggled with some other songs - probably because she was given poppy and not musical theatre songs.

If she returns to what she is qualified to do, I am sure she will excel. And then she will find that her now massive name recognition will turn out, in the end, to be an asset.

It may not feel that way at the moment, but it will be.

Good luck Francesca.

Yes, I just watched that and it was heartbreaking!

The interview on the website was clearly done straight after the show when she was still very upset. She was a lot more composed this morning and hopefully that is an indication that she will soon get back her full confidence.

She seems very nice and deserves the holiday she is intending to take. I think she'll be very busy again soon.

Francesca's exit video was really sad! I do hope she's feeling better about the whole thing soon! It's such pity she didn't enjoy the whole experience, but I can understand why - she looked so frustrated to have been branded the professional with the connections.

She says she's had some interest, and her departure (in it's own way) showed how good she can be with the right material, so good luck to her, and I hope she and her boyfriend have a nice holiday! (PS, what show is her boyfriend in?)

Her exit interview is heartbreaking - she looks destroyed

He's in Jersey Boys, I think.

anyone have a link to where i can watch Fran on BBC breakfast? can you put it on youtube?
please reply
Luv Louise

Hi louise

You can watch it on the main BBC site. Its on the first page at the moment or if not under videos week 4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/oliver/

It's a pity she's gone. She's so talented and didn't deserve to go home. Her performance of As Long As He Needs Me was fantastic. But I'm sure the future has a glittering career in store for her.

That's the exit interview filmed on Sat night. Sadly the one from Breakfast this morning is not on the BBC website.

I did watch it but didn't record it - sorry!

Oooops - i didn't read the original post properly.

Sorry louise - don't have a link to the breakfast one.

I'd like to see it too - can anyone upload it and provide a link?

I've just watched it. It's dreadful, I feel so bad for her.

Maybe Andrew and his producers need to take a good look at the show and what it's doing to people. Francesca's comments about her confidence plummeting and being so upset every day are a really terrible reflection to be honest. Especially coming on the heels of Ashleygate. What happened to the 'we nuture, don't torture' line?

The other reason I feel really bad for her is that she, above all the other contestants, was in it, not to be famous, or to become an A lister, but because she wanted the part of Nancy. I wish the public had seen that.

the exit interview is jaw-dropping! i cant believe that she regrets the experience!

TBH although Francesca was in tune for her final moment at the top of the stairs, I thought she was straining to hit the bit notes at the end. But I think anyone who manages to get through that part of the show given how emotional it is I admire everyone of them - it like watching someone having pins stuck in them!

I think it says a lot about her acting, too, that she was enjoying the experience so little, but it never showed in her performances...

She said that straight after the show on Saturday when she was still upset and crying! I think the BBC are bad not to have given her time to compose herself.

On Breakfast this morning she said that being on the show was very tough for her and that she felt being labelled professional had hurt her chances. She also said she didn't regret going on, she'd made some fantastic friends and had already had a few phonecalls which might lead to work as a result of being on IDA.

She seemed much better than in the awful clip on the IDA website.

That interview was really sad. She looked like she had been crying quite a bit.

Argh the poor girl. She will go onto bigger and better things!

Was she on Breakfast twice this morning? I recorded it while I was at work but only from 8am. In the interview bit I saw she didn't mention everything you said above - especially about the phonecalls (which is great news!).

Not sure I can bring myself to watch the exit interview yet - I was bad enough after the results show She did seem quite chirpy this morning though, if a bit tired (not surprising!)

I've just watched all the exit interviews so far (I've never watched them on any show before) - Francesca's is heartbreaking.

I only saw her the once, just before 9am.

I'm sure she said something along the line of she was aware of a few calls (or maybe things happening? - I can't remember the exact wording) while she was on the show but it was a rushed comment in a far too short interview. However, I thought she was implying professional contacts of some sort.

Please don't tell me I've been hallucinating simply because I want her to do well!!!
Last edited by Cat Balou : 21-04-2008 at 18:18

She mentioned some in her exit interview, I think... I didn't see the Breakfast interview, so I dunno about that!

[quote]


I honestly don't see where these multiple chances lie.

Fear not, I've solved the mystery! You were not hallucinating. I've just watched the exit interview on the website () and she mentioned all the things you referred to.

She sort of referred to the same-ish things in the Breakfast interview, but with a much more positive spin. (Phew!)

I'm so glad I saw the Breakfast interview before I saw the exit one, otherwise I'd have been really worried, especially in terms of losing all her confidence - that's an awful thing to happen and is going to take a bit of time to re-build.

That exit interview is so upsetting but yet so honest, and I'm really glad she had the courage to say what she really felt about the experience, rather than just gloss over it so as not to upset or annoy anyone. I'm also quite glad she's out of there before her self-esteem nose-dived even more.

I'm glad she made some really good friendships out of it though, if nothing else. You could see that the 3 girls she mentioned were equally gutted to see her go.

Whilst I feel sorry for Fran, and don't think she deserved to go just yet, that exit interview doesn't actually do her any favours.

She decided to go for this part and having seen Mairia and Joseph being cast this way she should have been under no illusions as to what she was letting herself in for.

Yes she was labelled "the professional", but so were Rachel and Sarah, and unlike Francesca they have turned in fantastic, well sung performances in all 4 weeks. Fran as an established West End performer should have been able to turn in equally good performances, but didn't when it mattered and it has cost her dearly! Denise didn't help her much either by failing to point out the dodgy notes which WERE picked up on by other panel members, which only fuelled the old pals rumours

Given the dodgy performances, it is probably better that she goes now before she really damages her reputation, and maybe she is a warning to other established performers - DON'T go for roles in this way in the future, It was good for Connie (just out of college and looking for her first major role) and Lee (trying to break out of the permanent understudy role), but for someone who has already had major parts, don't audition on TV, wait until they are recasting the role and go for it then without the fanfare!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/oliver/video/in...eek=0&video=14





I never saw her on Breakfast- hopefully someone will upload it to Youtube... lol! Kinda gutted for her. I hope she doesn't really regret this experience, because she's gained a lot of fans, and she is a very talented lady.

She was really sweet about Samantha, Naihm and Sarah.