Britain’s Got Talent defends including Greatest Showman singer in auditions
Some viewers felt she had an unfair advantage.
Britain's Got Talent has voiced its support for contestant Loren Allred, who faced criticism after last night's episode for being more established than other auditioning acts.
While not a household name, Allred has seen success in the music industry in the past by providing the vocals to the song Never Enough, which was included in Hugh Jackman's popular 2017 musical The Greatest Showman.
The song was included on the film's soundtrack album, which hit number one in several countries around the world, while as a single it climbed to number 24 in the UK charts.
However, Allred remains relatively unknown, as The Greatest Showman depicts opera singer Jenny Lind (played by Rebecca Ferguson) as the performer of Never Enough.
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Nevertheless, some viewers felt that Britain's Got Talent should be primarily for new discoveries who are yet to achieve success in their respective fields, which meant that Allred being awarded the Golden Buzzer ruffled some feathers.
A spokesperson told Metro: "Whilst most people will have heard the infamous Greatest Showman track, Loren is not a household name, and she deserves her spot on the BGT stage.
"We hope that such articles will not count against somebody who is well-deserving of this opportunity. It’s fantastic that Loren is now able to step out and stand in her own right to be the face, and not just the voice, of one of the most well-known tracks of all time."
Allred added: "Even though I have spent a lot of years in the music industry, people don’t know who I am. Over all these years I’ve been fighting for my chance to be known and to make it.
"The opportunity to sing 'Never Enough' evolved from being a session singer in the choir, and even though the song was a big success, people still think that the actress sang it. I have never gotten the opportunity to tell my story. That’s never happened for me. I am an unsigned, independent artist still trying to make a name for myself."
As a recipient of the prestigious Golden Buzzer, Allred will be sent straight through to the semi-finals, where she will continue her bid to win the show's cash prize and a spot at the Royal Variety Performance.
Britain's Got Talent continues on ITV at 8pm on Saturday 23rd April 2022. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
