Piers Morgan Posts from 2009 Britain's Got Talent


 

This site has been restored and archived for use as supplemental reading for Dan Johnson's course: Media Studies I for first year students. A grant from the Web Archive Project provided funding for the restoration. TNG/Earthling provided the technical expertise for this project via CEO Bob Sakayama and developer Rev Sale. OneInAmelia handled research and content authentication. Content was taken from the original website and other sources. WAP supports the preservation of historically significant documents for use by educators, historians and the public.

 

For a number of years this was the official website for Piers Morgan. He is known primarily known for his role as a judge on NBC’s No.1-rated America’s Got Talent and as the winner of Celebrity Apprentice.
Although officialpiersmorgan.com provided other Pier Morgan related news, reviews, and interviews, the content below is mainly from the site's 2009 archived Blog pages, where Piers gives his thoughts on the final of Britain’s Got Talent 2009.

For more about Piers Morgan go to his  official Facebook page found at https://www.facebook.com/piersmorgan/

+++

Get exclusive content and the latest updates from Britain's Got Talent and other shows including the insider at official Piers Morgan

 


 

Get To Know Piers Morgan

Background 2009

Piers Morgan was born in 1965.  He studied journalism at Harlow College, beginning his career in local south London newspapers before being spotted by Kelvin MacKenzie of The Sun and given his own showbiz column, Bizarre. Rupert Murdoch made him Editor of News of The World in January 1994; he was headhunted two years later to edit the Mirror where he stayed until May 2004 when he was sacked following the decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war.

He has presented two series of Tabloid Tales forBBC1and has co-hosted the current affairs show Morgan & Platell on Channel 4.  Piers presented You Can’t Fire Me, I’m Famousfor BBC1,re-commissioned by the BBC for a second year and which saw him interviewing famous faces that have been at the centre of a high profile sackings or resignations.  Piers has made a name for himself out in the States as Simon Cowell’s straight-talking Brit mate, playing a mean judge on the talent show America’s Got Talent for NBC and which rated number one in the USA. The second series aired in the summer of 2007 and the third series was shown through the summer 2008, so far an 11 year old singer, an impersonator and an opera singer have walked away as series winners. Piers also appeared in the UK alongside Simon Cowell as a judge on the ITV1 hit show Britain’s Got Talent, with the singer Paul Potts winning the first series and street dancer George Sampson scooping the second series. Most recently he presented a three part documentary for ITV1 Piers Morgan on Sandbanks, taking a look at the small Dorset peninsular that has become the fourth most expensive place to live in the world. He also wowed American audiences to triumphantly win NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice.

Piers returned to his journalistic background on BBC 1’s Dark Side of Fame in autumn 2008 where he interviewed amongst others Mickey Rourke, Pamela Anderson and Jim Davidson. On the show Piers investigated the hidden personal downsides to the fame his guests craved.

2009 sees Piers return with a new documentary travelogue programme for ITV 1 called Piers On… which will see him taking in the sights of Monaco, Dubai and Hollywood and later in the year his brand new chat show Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. As well as the third series of Britain’s Got Talent and another book halfway through the year, it is shaping up to be a very busy time.

His book, The Insider, private diaries of a scandalous decade, became an instant number one bestseller and his sequel Don’t You Know Who I Am? Insider Diaries of Fame, Power and Naked Ambition topped the bestseller list in spring 2007.  In addition, Piers writes a regular column for the Mail on Sunday on sports and his diaries appear in their supplement Live Magazine. For GQ, Piers takes on celebrities in his regular monthly column where he interviews some of the biggest names in entertainment, politics and more.

Piers lives in London and East Sussex and is a devoted Arsenal fan.

More Info 2010

Known to United States viewers primarily for his role as a judge on NBC’s No.1-rated America’s Got Talent and as the winner of Celebrity Apprentice, Morgan has had a long career in journalism in the United Kingdom as a newspaper editor and, more recently, as the host of the popular television interview program Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. He will now bring his penetrating interview style and gift for unearthing the surprising detail to American television and to CNN viewers around the globe.

Morgan began his career as a reporter for The Wimbledon News and then as a columnist at The Sun. In 1994, when Morgan was 28 years old, Rupert Murdoch appointed him the youngest ever editor of the News of the World, and the youngest national newspaper editor in Britain for 50 years. Two years later he moved to the Daily Mirror, where he served as editor-in-chief from 1995 until 2004. The paper won numerous journalistic awards including Newspaper of the Year at the prestigious British Press Awards in 2002 for its coverage of 9/11. After his controversial departure from the Mirror, Morgan went on to become a best-selling author, a regular media columnist, and host of his own interview programs on the BBC and ITV, as well as appear as a judge alongside Simon Cowell on the No.1-rated show Britain’s Got Talent.

After leaving the Daily Mirror, Morgan began writing a monthly interview column for GQ magazine where he interviewed some of the biggest names in global entertainment and politics. In 2004, he moved into television, co-hosting a Channel 4 current affairs show, Morgan & Platell, and two BBC interview shows, Tabloid Tales and You Can’t Fire Me I’m Famous. In 2008, Morgan joined ITV, where he hosted a documentary travelogue show called Piers On…, reporting from cities including Shanghai, Las Vegas and Dubai.

He also developed a new talk show, Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, where he conducts one-on-one intimate and lengthy sit-down interviews with celebrities, business and political leaders, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It has been consistently the No. 1-rated talk show in Britain for the last two years.

In September 2010, CNN announced that Morgan will host a candid, in-depth news maker interview program on the network scheduled to premiere in January 2011.

Recently named “Piers Morgan Tonight,” the new program will air weeknights on CNN/ U.S. at 9 pm ET/PT and will air worldwide on CNN International in more than 200 countries.

Morgan will continue as a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent premiering for its sixth season in spring of 2011. He will also continue to write his two regular columns for the Mail on Sunday newspaper, and will also provide regular columns to CNN.com.

Morgan is based in New York, and will also work from Los Angeles and London.

 

 



 

Piers Morgan's 2009 Blog Posts

 

Reflecting on a Record Breaking Series 

June 1, 2009

When the ratings figures came in this morning for last night’s final, I had to check them four times through my bleary eyes (the after-show party was long and lugubrious).

The peak audience during the results show was an astonishing 19.2 million. That is the biggest figure for any TV show this millennium, by miles.

And it proves that this series of Britain’s Got Talent was the biggest, the best, and the most truly global reality show in TV history.

Ever since Susan Boyle’s audition clip roared around the internet seven weeks ago, the show grabbed the fascination of the whole world.

And, as I said on the show last night, it’s so good to have something that shows off the best of Britain, after all the damage our politicians and bankers have done to this country’s reputation in the last few months.

As for the finale itself, words almost (only almost, mind…) fail me.

It was one of the most stunning events I can ever remember.

Every act performed superbly, and collectively they represented an almost perfect snapshot of what real Britain is like - creative, imaginative, dynamic, funny, eccentric, and patriotic.

I was rooting for Susan Boyle, and make no apologies for doing so.

To me, she has been the greatest discovery the show’s ever found. And I’m only sorry that the extraordinary tidal wave of publicity she attracted meant so many people got either bored or irritated by Boyle mania and decided not to vote for her as a result.

I genuinely believe that if she had been on one of the later audition shows, rather than the first one, she would have won easily.

Showbusiness is a fickle business, and the reality TV end of it even more so.

The British, and I’m as guilty as everyone else, like nothing better than building people up, and knocking ‘em down again.

But the good news for Susan is that we also have a tendency to feel sorry (and slightly guilty) for people after the ‘backlash’, and they usually end up even more popular than they were before.

I thought she sang absolutely beautifully last night. Which given that she told me she’d spent most of the week crying, throwing up, not sleeping and generally feeling the weight of the world’s pressures on her, was a remarkable achievement.

To the cynics and critics who sneered at her, I simply ask: why?

It wasn’t Susan’s fault that she became this global phenomenon.

It was OUR fault. We, the public and the media, who latched onto her amazing audition performance and decided she was the woman to lift us all out of our doom and gloom.

I was incredibly proud of Susan last night, and was bemused to wake up to the headlines all screaming ‘END OF THE DREAM’ this morning.

Susan’s dream was not to win a talent show. It was to have a professional singing career.

And now she’s going to have one. I predict she will have a huge selling album out in a few months, and more to follow.

Britain’s Got Talent has been a rollercoaster ride for her, but it has also allowed her to live, and realise, her dream.

Coming second may just be the best thing that ever happens to her. She can now focus on recording an album without all the added pressure and attention she would have got for winning the show.

As for Diversity, they were brilliant last night, and thoroughly deserve to win. I can’t think of better role models than this dazzlingly talented, polite, humble, group of true Brits.

I feel for Flawless though. It’s not easy going first in the final, and I honestly thought they were just as good as Diversity. I hope they, too, go on to have a successful career because they deserve it.

As for me, I’m having a day off today and intend to do absolutely nothing whatsoever.

It’s been the craziest, most draining, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting week of my life.

But in a few weeks, I’ve got to do and do it all again on America’s Got Talent.

No rest for the wicked.

 



 

In Defence of Susan Boyle

May 28, 2009

Imagine, if you will, being anonymous for 47 years of your life, and then suddenly being propelled into genuine world superstardom.

For many people, it would be a dream come true. All that fame and attention, and the prospect of all that money to come with it down the line.

But let me tell you now, there is a downside to fame. People start criticising you, sniping at you, trying to trip you up, belittle you, harass you.

The pressure from sudden global success can be enormous.

Everywhere you go, people recognise you and want a piece of you - an autograph, a photo, a quick song, a chat to their mum on a mobile phone.

You can’t got out any more without being mobbed in the streets. You can’t nip down the supermarket for a pint of milk or go to the paper shop.

That pressure, too, can take its toll on close family and friends. They don’t know quite how to deal with it either. Suddenly they’re all caught up in this insane, relentless goldfish bowl.

All the fun of being propelled into international acclaim starts to disappear. And you start to feel jittery, self-conscious, paranoid, and fractious.

Then imagine, too, having all this go on when you are days away from the final of a competition that can make or break your career and your life.

A competition that everyone expects you to win, a fact that in itself piles on even more pressure.

This is exactly the situation that Susan Boyle now finds herself in.

And my heart absolutely bleeds for the poor woman.

I picked up the papers this morning, and saw a load of headlines ridiculing Susan for a supposed incident where is said to have heard me tell Shaheen Jafagholi he had given the ‘best singing performance of the semi-finals’ and gone mad - flicking V-signs and shouting ‘**** off’, before storming off to her hotel bedroom.

She was said to be angry because I, her ‘favourite judge’, had backed another contestant.

Susan denies this happened, and I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what really went on.

But I’ve seen the photos of her arguing with policemen after a furious altercation with a reporter who later asked her about it, and I’ve read the incredibly bitchy comments exploding all over various websites about her behaviour.

And you know what?

It made me very, very angry.

Susan Boyle is a very kind, generous-hearted, lady who has had a pretty tough life. She was deprived of oxygen during her birth, and that left her with ‘learning difficulties’, causing her to be called ‘Simple Susan’ at school.

She’s only been able to have one brief job in her life, but rather than feel sorry for herself she dedicated all her time to helping her ageing, ailing mother until she died two years ago.

She’s never married, and memorably declared she’d ‘never even been kissed.’

But she’s always, according to people who knew her well, been a fun-loving, popular woman who would do anything to help others, including devoting considerable unpaid time and effort to her local church and community as a volunteer.

I’m not saying she’s a Saint. But I am saying that before all this fuss, Susan was generally considered by everyone who met her to be a genuinely lovely person. Albeit, one with a lively, feisty character, and a wonderfully eccentric sense of humour.

That’s why I feel so upset to see all the distress she is currently suffering from all the media and public furore.

Susan is finding it very, very difficult to cope, and to stay calm.

She has been in tears many times during the last few days, and even, fleetingly, felt like quitting the show altogether at one point and fleeing all the attention.

She’s had to read stories and columns, and listen to radio and TV phone-ins,  calling her arrogant, insincere, spoiled, fake, mad and so on.

Now, I have been called all that and worse in my career, but I spent 20 years in Fleet Street and know how to deal with it.

Susan Boyle has never experienced anything like this and is like a frightened rabbit in headlights.

I am calling today for everyone to just give her a break.

She is two days away from the biggest day of her life, and all she wants to do is sing well for everyone and hopefully try and win.

She’s not a mass murderer, a thieving banker, or an expense-fiddling politician.

Susan’s just a sweet, middle-aged lady from a Scottish village, who can’t really comprehend the sheer scale of what’s happened to her.

And far from decrying her, shouldn’t we all be celebrating the amazing journey she has gone on, and the fact that she has done more for the reputation of Britain in the last month than anyone for a very long time.

As I said after her performance on Sunday night, Susan has given new hope and inspiration to a world battered by recession with her voice, and her story.

200 million people have now watched her YouTube clip, more than any other clip in history, and she is a household name from Russia to China, Australia to Africa.

Becoming the biggest star on the planet so fast is a scary, unsettling, upsetting thing, as Susan has discovered.

Let the increasingly unpleasant bitching and carping stop, right now. Please. She doesn’t deserve it.

 



 

Reflections on the 3rd Semi Final 

May 27, 2009

What a night!

Drama, suspense, tears, hilarity…it had everything you could possibly wish for from a TV show.

Which probably explains why the ratings have been soaring to over 15.4 million viewers - the highest figures on British television for six years.

I loved last night’s show even more than the first two semi-finals.

Sitting in Simon’s sumptuous dressing room (he’s suddenly moved to a different floor at Fountain Studios from Amanda and I, further evidence that he now thinks he’s Emperor Nero) before it started, we all agreed that the line-up was one of the weirdest we’ve ever had.

‘This could be a total disaster,’ sighed Simon.

‘Or brilliantly funny,’ I replied.

And the moment Kaye the human saxophone player began ‘playing’, Simon and I looked at each other and laughed, both thinking we were right!

I loved that act, because it was a) totally original b) incredibly funny and c) guaranteed to really annoy Mr Cowell.

But even he couldn’t come close to the brilliant Stavros Flatley for sheer comedic entertainment value.

The father-and-son duo are such lovely people. I met the dad backstage afterwards, and he was almost in tears of joy.

‘I’m so happy we made the final,’ he said.’ I don’t care what happens now, we’re there!’

They epitomise Britain’s Got Talent as far as I’m concerned.

They don’t care about their weight, looks, or image. They just want to have a laugh, and make everyone else laugh. And everyone I know loves them.

Can they win on Saturday? Well, it would be very amusing if they did.

I’d pay £1 million to see the Queen’s face when they run out in their Cypriot tunics at the Royal Variety Show.

But I think Shaheen has a better chance. That boy has got an unbelievably powerful voice for a 12-year-old. There were moments in his performance last night when he sounded exactly like a young Michael Jackson. With the right song, he could give Susan Boyle and the two brilliant dance groups a real run for their money.

But there are still two semi-finals left, and lots of potential winners like Hollie and Aidan to come yet.

This is now officially the biggest talent show on the planet, and whoever does eventually win is going to a global superstar.

Even Simon is slightly shocked by how successful this series has been.

‘It’s incredible!’ he said after last night’s show finished. ‘It’s like the whole world is watching. This is the show I love doing most of all.’

COMMENTS:

May 27, 2009 at 9:26 am
Hayley says
I agree that this has been getting better and better,
I agree with you Pearce that DJ Talent could have a record, though it might only a one hit wonder and a novelty record, at least he will be able to say he got in the charts, besides we have had worse. Though I don’t think he should be on the royal preformance. As to the others that have got through so far it is going to be tough call to say who is going to win. There again it might be nice for an underdog to go through as this is once in a lifetime chance for them. As the others have got talent in various parts of the industry and with the right guidence will flourish, maybe make a new show, bring back the viarety shows like sunday night at the palladium, get some real entertainment back on tv.

May 27, 2009 at 9:38 am
Dianne says
That’s because the whole world IS watching!
Dianne
California, USA

May 27, 2009 at 9:50 am
bluewren says
Poor Susan Boyle, you have certainly used her and shown yourself up Piers for just how sincere your “friendship” really is I said time will tell just how much of a “friend you really were”.

You had to go overboard and OVER PRAISE that boy for the sake of your ratings saying he was the best singer in the semi finals after all the flattery and praise you lavished on Susan Boyle ofcourse she felt betrayed. With all the stress of your stupid talent show heaped on her.What are you trying to do to her break her before the big night?
Will that get more ratings more people to view just to see her break down?
You may not have any feelings but she poor innocent felt she could trust your support.
I hope this report is untrue, otherwise you’ve had it mate.

May 27, 2009 at 10:04 am
Clive says
It would be interesting to know what criteria you (the judges, or powers that be) used to choose who appeared in the semi-finals.
Judging by who you left in, and who you left out, I can only assume the choice was ruthlessly based on who would get the most viewers - even if only from ghoulish spectatcle or controversy.

May 27, 2009 at 10:11 am
euniceeleanor says
oh Piers, with all those talents, i have a feeling that it will be so tough for you guys to judge this year!!! i, for one, cant even name my favorite, i love aidan davis, hollie, shaheen, stavros flatley…oh gosh…the list goes on….
please, piers…make your decision carefully :) kekekeke

 

May 27, 2009 at 10:24 am
bluewren says
Ok I could be falling for media hype and sabatage.I certainly hope you didn’t do it. I did lose my cool. Can they really make things up like that about Susan and get away with it? I can’t imagine the strain she is under. Damn.Until I find out for sure I aplogise and give you the benefit.

 

May 27, 2009 at 10:25 am
A French Brit says
Hi,
I must say I am very impressed by the quality of BGT. I happen to have been brought up by a British mother but have always lived in France. I’ve always considered myself more British than French, but have never found British TV programs to come up to my expectations, they rarely make me feel proud. And I normally can’t stand reality shows. I thought I was actually allergic to them until I came across Susan Boyle, like so many people around the world.

Since then, thanks to her, you chaps have got me addicted. Though I can’t see the programs live, I don’t miss one of the videos available online and want to congratulate everyone involved and of course you 3, the judges, for your emotional and full commitment and involvement in the show.
Having studied journalism myself, and the power of the media and Internet, I have a relatively good idea about the way things can be staged, faked and prepared to get a precise reaction from the audience. Even though your various roles and characters are emphasized, they don’t seem to be entirely acted, or if they are so, the 3 of you are tremendous actors (which might be the case).

But here, you have really found a great bunch of talented people, that is not fake. So thanks for the pleasure you bring people, thanks for the excitement, thanks for the laughs. I won’t ever try an act on your show, as I don’t live in Britain, but you sure do give a chance to everyone, with every sort of talent and abilities, and I don’t know of any equivalent. It gives people not only fun and excitement, but I think it brings hope that everyone can get there, beautiful or not, and show people what they are capable of. For some strange reason it’s given me a boost to be proud of my own talents and show them (not through the program but in my own life). Thanks for that !

Keep up the great work and keep counterbalancing Simon, your trio with Amanda makes your judgments great and gives a chance to talent and variety.
Best regards, A.T

 

May 27, 2009 at 10:42 am
Nicola says
Am I the only person who doesn’t rate Hollie - i thought her audition was boring. Some people are saying Friday’s semi is going to be close with Aidan, Hollie, Greg Pritchard and Good Evans but for me there are only 2 acts in that can win Greg and Aidan!

 

May 27, 2009 at 10:49 am
Sandra says
I was there last night. Sitting in the front row to the right of Piers. Loved the show, so please Stavros Flatley went through, the show needed some light entertainment in the final. I would have liked to see MD Dance Group join them, they were amazing.
I had a fantastic night, the atmosphere was electric. Wish I was at the finals.

 

May 27, 2009 at 10:54 am
felicia says
piers and simon, the whole world is watching because of susan and you both should give her so much credit for this is my first time watching your show an it is because of seeing the clip about susan on fox news it took me a few days before i watch the clip and thank god i did watch, susan is an amazing person in spirte, watching her made me cry for so many of us who have something to offer and never get the chance. i watch susan sing memory and realise how nervious she was but still did an amazing job. piers and simon after reading some of the things said about susan on the blogs and i know she must have seen or heard some of the nasty and vulgar things said she had what we in barbados call GUTS. susan is funny and happy and love who she is if i could vote as so many of us here wish we could she would have our vote, bgt made a special fine take care of her she is special to the world. and know this she will shine for a long time, you are a nice person piers and i an getting to like simon ofter watching bgt, because after watching american idol and how he treat clay about his look i did’nt like him very much, looks don’t matter they don’t last forever, we love susan just the way she is, in barbados we are about 280thousand and everyone is talking about susan and wishing here the best of luck. hope to see simon in barbados soon again and you too. THE WORLD IS WATCHING BECAUSE OF SUSAN BOYLE. we want her cd as soon as it comes out. from barbados with love

 

May 27, 2009 at 11:05 am
Nicola says
got in one piers, i would love to see her face when stavros flately goes on! i absolutly love the show! and i hope Shuan Smith gets a record deal he has a lovely voice.
xxx



I Say DJ, You Say Talent!

May 26, 2009

I’m distraught.

Why the hell is DJ Talent not in the final?

In the history of musical travesties, this is right up there with Dannii Minogue never having a No1 hit single in the UK.

I don’t know what more DJ could have done - he blinged himself so high, I thought he’d blind the audience, he adapted his anthem to include shameless references to all three judges, and as for his throne and glamorous assistants, it was like watching Emperor Nero making a comeback.

Yet, despite this shocking knockback from the British public, I maintain that his song ‘I say Britain, You say Talent’ has got No1 written all over it.

And as I said last night, if Simon doesn’t want to manage him then I will.

I’m that confident.

As for the rest of the show, I think the word ‘dire’ might safely be applied to the first half (excluding the magnificent DJ, obviously).

The Hot Honeyz were so lukewarm I thought they’d start to congeal, Jamie Pugh died a terrible death of nerves on the biggest stage of his life, Mad Merlin’s rope fire escape act was nowhere near as good as his audition trick, and as for Peter Coghlan - has there ever been a more revolting sight than that vast mound of wobbly flesh? We couldn’t have put that in front of the Queen, we’d get beheaded.

Fortunately, the quality improved hugely in the second half.

Gareth Oliver was desperately unlucky not to make the final. Ventriloquism may be a dying art form in this country, but I thought he was terrific. It’s incredibly difficult throwing your voice well anyway, without actually singing through a puppet. And he had great charm too.

We need some great variety acts in the final, and he should have been one of them.

Not to take anything away from Shaun Smith, who is a very good young singer. Though I much preferred his audition performance of Ain’t No Sunshine. The song choice for the singers is absolutely crucial on these live shows, and if I was him I’d go back to that original one on Saturday.

Flawless, however, were simply brilliant.

They and Diversity are the two best dance acts we’ve ever had in this competition, and their dance-off in the final is going to be electrifying.

Of course, they may split the dance vote, leaving Susan Boyle free to charge to the victory everyone assumes is in the bag. We saw that last year when two similar classical singers, Faryl Smith and Andrew Johnston, split their vote, and George Sampson won.

Susan’s under huge pressure now, and my heart really does go out to her.

It’s not easy going from anonymity to world superstardom so fast, and I don’t think she really knows what the hell is going on with her life.

But if she comes back in the final with I Dreamed A Dream and nails it, then she is still the one to beat.

Lily Allen called her ‘over-rated’ today.

Now, I like young Lily, she’s an amusing cove.

But methinks some of these pop stars are getting just the teeniest, weenist bit jealous of Susan’s global domination.

And they’ll be even more irritated when she sells ten million albums in America, which trust me, she will - whatever happens in the final.

 

 



 

The Auditions are Nearly Over

May 18, 2009

We are nearing the end of the Britain’s Got Talent auditions, and it’s clear what an extraordinary process we’ve seen.

I don’t think any talent show in the history of television has had more global impact than this series of BGT.

And it’s all down to one middle-aged lady from Scotland.

I’ve been working in America the last three weeks, and everywhere I’ve gone, from Seattle to New York,  Houston to Los Angeles, I have had to run the Susan Boyle gauntlet when I walk the streets.

And I mean gauntlet. Literally one in five people have stopped me to ask about Susan. She has become one of the biggest celebrities in America, and when the live shows start next week, the world’s No1 superpower will just grind to a halt! Quite astonishing given then nobody had ever heard of her a month ago, and most of her fans have only seen her sing for 90 seconds.

Of course, it’s not a one-horse race, as I keep saying. Susan faces incredibly tough competition - last night, two more great acts emerged to challenge her, the mini Beyonce, Natalie Okri, and that incredible little dancer Aidan Davis.

Add those to the list of potential winners, always assuming they made it through to the Top 40 of course (I repeat, prepare to be shocked when the shortlist is revealed next Saturday) and boy have we got a show on our hands.

It will all come down to how the acts perform on the night.

The live environment sorts out the genuine possible stars from the wannabees, trust me.

Even Simon gets nervous before those shows, and nothing usually fazes him.

Anything could happen - Susan could come out, and fall flat on her face.

I hope she doesn’t though, obviously. Apart from anything else, the fact that her audition performance has been viewed 190 million times on YouTube means that I have, too.

Which is why a rather attractive Canadian lady came up to me by the pool of my Beverly Hills hotel yesterday, and said: ‘Oh my god, I love your face in the Susan Boyle video. So kind and sensitive..’

When I’d stopped laughing (these are not allegations I’ve ever faced before), she added: ‘My friend and I would like to take you to dinner tonight….’

I couldn’t make it, but I do want to thank Susan for all she is doing for my street cred in America.

 



Britain’s Got Talent Week 4

May 4, 2009

Admit it, you either shed a tear over Jamie Pugh, or nearly shed a tear?

I’ve never had so many texts about one contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, not even after Susan Boyle.

And the reason is that we could all tell just what it meant to him to be fulfilling his dream on a huge stage.

‘It completed me,’ the pizza delivery man wept afterwards. And I believed him. He may or may not progress to the final stages of the competition (as I’ve said before, prepare to be shocked by the Top 40 selections..). But he got a standing ovation from 2000 people, and nobody can ever take that away from him.

The phrase ‘you’re what this show is all about’ has been massively over-used on every talent show in history. But it is the perfect phrase for Jamie, a man who I only learned from the papers today lost his wife to a brain tumour a few years ago.

He’s a humble, sensitive, thoroughly decent man going about his life in a completely unremarkable way; yet who possesses a quite remarkable talent.

 



 

When Piers Met That Pesky Meerkat…

April 6, 2010

Piers is no stranger to dropping by some of the world’s most fabulous and ostentatious locations, but nothing could prepare him for his encounter at the Orlov family mansion with possibly the world’s only Russian billionaire meerkat, Aleksandr.

Piers and Aleksandr cover everything from how to cope with fame through to Susan Boyle and literature!

The podcast continues to support Aleksandr’s wider campaign to highlight the difference between his own website comparethemeerkat.com and the website for easy car insurance comparethemarket.com.

Piers Morgan said  ‘I’ve been the interviewer many times before but rarely the interviewee - but I was curious to see what it would be like to be interviewed by a Russian billionaire meerkat. Aleksandr turned out to be a bit like me, cocky, rude, intrusive and made it all about him.”

 

OfficialPiersMorgan.com