UK reality TV show Britain’s Got Talent may have produced its next Susan Boyle-like success with a scruffy looking chap named Michael Collings.
The 19-year-old, who lives in a caravan in Plymouth, received a standing ovation for his cover of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ and the video has been watched more than 1.5 million times on YouTube since being uploaded on the weekend.
One of those viewers was teen pop sensation Justin Bieber who has heartily supported the apprentice IT engineer, who says: "He really was an amazingly talented guy. I am sure his life will never be the same again.
"It's a cliché but these shows were designed for people like Michael. You'd think, after Susan Boyle, people would be prepared for the unexpected. But I still don't think anybody expected that."
The Britain’s Got Talent judges were clearly not convinced as he walked on stage in very casual attire with an unassuming demeanour.
"He looks like he's going on a long-haul flight," quipped a scornful Amanda Holden. "On easyJet," responded an even snobbier Michael McIntyre.
However, just as Susan Boyle did in her audition for Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, Collings made the judges eat their words.
His performance was so impressive that it has given Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ a second run toward the top of the charts. The song, a No. 5 hit in the UK in 1988, is at No. 3 in the country’s iTunes chart - but is expected to go higher.
Collings has since spoken about his successful audition on breakfast TV show Daybreak, saying: "I definitely wasn't expecting this. I was expecting a crowd response. But it was amazing - the standing ovation and cheering. It was a shock to my system."
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