Latest news with #YouSay
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Britain's Got Talent star Linda Mudzenda shares 'lonely' experience away from show
Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist Linda Mudzenda is performing in the first show on Saturday - however, the 21-year-old has opened up about the challenges she's faced off screen Linda Mudzenda can't wait to wow the Britain's Got Talent judges once again on Saturday night as the semi-finalist returns to the ITV stage - however, the 21-year-old has revealed that she's faced a fair few challenges to make it to the competition. Speaking to The Mirror in an exclusive chat, Linda shared how she's find it hard to settle into life in the UK after moving from Zimbabwe to become a child support worker two years ago. "Honestly, it's not easy. It has its challenges," she said. "It's full of ups and downs because for me, I stay alone, so you get to experience things alone. There's actually no one that you really lean on to so sometimes it gets depressing, sometimes it's good. It's double-sided." The singer blew away the judging panel with her rendition of You Say by Lauren Daigle in her audition, which won her the Golden Buzzer from Alesha Dixon. While Linda couldn't give away too much about her performance on Saturday, she revealed that it's about finding her identity. "What I can say – it's defining who Linda is. It's about someone who had lost their identity or something happened along the way, and they are now defining themselves," she said. "They've now found themselves in that situation, and they now know who they are and I think that's just all." Linda previously opened up about her health and personal struggles ahead of the competition, revealing hat two months before the audition, she didn't have a place to stay, was having problems at work and almost required surgery. The star was diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition and a cyst on her left side. Now, Linda is stronger than ever and ready to perform. "It was a tough season for me during that time, but I'm doing OK, honestly. My health has improved. I'm still waiting to see my gynaecologist but I'm fine, I'm healthy, I'm strong." At work, Linda supports children who have experienced childhood trauma, mental health problems, learning difficulties and disabilities - and is hoping to bring one of them to her performance on Saturday. "I actually went to work the day after my episode aired and, to my surprise, a young person was actually waiting for me, and he was really emotional as well. He was waiting for me at the door," she said. "He said, 'Oh Linda, I am proud of you. I didn't think you would actually be on TV.' He called all his friends, his mum, and honestly, it was just so emotional as well." She added: "I'm trying to get my mum to come, we are still trying to do the process. Hopefully, it will all work out. The young person also, he said he wants to come and watch me perform for the semi-finals. He actually promised that he was going to behave well. He's not gonna have any problems so that he can attend. So honestly, it's just overwhelming. It's amazing." As for what Lidna plans to do with the prize money if she wins Britain's Got Talent, she hopes to treat her mum, who is still living in Zimbabwe. "The first person I would consider is my mum. I would really want to give her whatever she wants because she deserves the world and also, I would, I would love to invest in my music. I'm, I'm taking this opportunity as well to venture now in my solo career, you know share my gift to the world, tour around the world, do my music and grow in music," she said.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Britain's Got Talent fans complain 'waste of time' as KSI prank slammed
Britain's Got Talent fans were left confused tonight (April 5) asking "what's the point" after a prank on KSI was slammed as a "waste of time". The YouTuber, who is appearing as a guest judge on the 2025 series, was asked to come up on stage by 'The Terminator' as fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli looked on in horror. Wearing a black cloak, gold mask and using an undercover voice, The Terminator asked KSI to sit on a chair while the act made fun of his crush Rhiannon, before blind folding and tormenting him with insects (which turned out to be The Tormentor tickling KSI with a fluffy stick). However, at the end of the prankster's performance, which turned out to be fake, his last trick was to reveal his identity. The Tormentor reveals his identity... 🤯😂 Watch @Deji prank his brother @KSI in this hilarious fake #BGT audition here: — BGT (@BGT) April 5, 2025 After a few tense, brief moments, KSI's jaw dropped when he realised it was in fact his brother Deji. But the joke was slammed on social media moments later, as one took to X to say: "What was the point in that?? #BGT." Another shared: "must be watching something different because i don't get what talent that was #BGT." A third put: "#BGT well that was a waste of time." This person complained: "So just a joke act, to waste time, that was [wasn't] funny or entertaining. #BGT." But some viewers seemed to enjoy the "brilliant" prank on KSI, as one wrote: "Nah that being Deji was brilliant #BritainsGotTalent #BGT." An account hailed: "That was brilliant, brotherly love #bgt." A BGT viewer also posted: "thats genius. deji you legend #BGT." Singer Linda Mudzenda received the golden buzzer from BGT judge Alesha last weekend (March 29), sending her straight through to the show's live semi-finals. The 21-year-old from Zimbabwe, who lives in Bedford, sang Lauren Daigle's You Say, after appearing nervous as she stepped up to the mic on Saturday's show, with judge Amanda telling her 'take your time, take a breath'. After the support worker had finished her performance, Amanda described it as 'extraordinary', with fellow judge KSI saying it had made him 'emotional', adding: 'It was so touching man, like just seeing how beautifully you sang.' Alesha said: 'I think it's the first time today that I've sat through an audition and my heart was just like racing out of my chest. Recommended reading: Britain's Got Talent viewers slam ITV show for 'absolutely terrible' acts Britain's Got Talent viewers blast ITV for 'awful television' and 'dross' Simon Cowell shares moment he thought he'd died on Britain's Got Talent 'And like about 15 minutes ago, KSI said to me, 'What is it going to take for you to press your golden buzzer?' The former Mis-Teeq star then pressed her buzzer, prompting the contestant to burst into tears, and added: 'It was so beautiful, it was so emotional, I don't know what you've been through in your life, but something's pouring out of your soul, and I loved it, and I can't wait to see you in the live show. 'So congratulations, go celebrate.' Britain's Got Talent airs on Saturdays on ITV1 and ITVX.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
4 years after ‘public ridicule,' Christian singer Lauren Daigle is embracing the Super Bowl spotlight
A little over four years ago, Lauren Daigle went home to Lafayette, Louisiana, crawled into her parents' bed and pulled the covers over her head. As the Christian singer explained during a recent podcast appearance, that was her response to a letter from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell that called for her to be removed from the 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' lineup in 2020 because of her participation in a rally that protested COVID-19 restrictions placed on houses of worship. 'She cannot be allowed to represent New Orleans,' Cantrell wrote in the letter criticizing Daigle for singing at the controversial rally, according to Religion News Service. Now, in somewhat of a full-circle moment, Daigle is representing New Orleans on one of the largest stages: the Super Bowl. On Sunday, the 'You Say' singer will perform 'America the Beautiful' ahead of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, which takes place at New Orleans' Superdome. 'To get this moment years later, I would say for anybody watching that has had their reputations smeared in any sort of way and they are just waiting for the moment of vindication, sometimes it only takes five years,' Daigle told the 'Arroyo Grande' podcast, per Fox News. Here's a look at how Daigle landed at the Super Bowl — and what's next in the two-time Grammy winner's career. As Daigle prepares to sing at the Super Bowl, she's been reflecting on the controversy that hit her career roughly nine months into the pandemic. She has previously said she was not formally a part of the 'Let Us Worship' rally held by her friend, Christian singer and worship leader Sean Feucht. She had been riding her bike nearby and was then invited to sing, the Christian Post reported at the time. About a month later, Daigle was reportedly in talks to perform at 'Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve' — though she has said she was never officially confirmed, as the Deseret News reported — when the letter from Cantrell criticized her involvement in the rally and called for her to be removed as a performer. 'There's no amount of public ridicule that is fun,' Daigle told the 'Arroyo Grande' podcast, per Fox News. Now, a few years after the controversy, Daigle and other Louisiana natives are bringing music with some New Orleans flair to the Super Bowl. The game comes a little over a month after a man intentionally drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 30, as the Deseret News reported. 'It's going to be a beautiful opportunity for us to showcase what New Orleans represents, and the culture, and the beauty of unity in music,' Daigle told 'New Orleans has seen some trying times recently. To be able to offer a sound of hope for people in this city, to sing out over the city and from the city into the rest of the world, is going to be one of my favorite things, maybe ever.' Daigle's invitation to the Super Bowl came through her friend and fellow musician, jazz powerhouse Trombone Shorty. When Trombone Shorty initially received an invitation to play and sing 'America the Beautiful' at the Super Bowl, his response was that he'd play it — but he had someone else in mind to sing it, Daigle told 'He had a vision, so he invited me. I was shocked,' the singer told 'I said, 'Do you understand the opportunity you gave me? Do you know what your generosity has given me?' That just goes to show the beauty of the music scene in New Orleans. What I love so much is that it's so communal. People are looking out for each other.' Daigle has long praised the collaborative music scene that is present throughout Louisiana. 'It's not this one-dimensional music scene,' Daigle told the Deseret News in a 2020 interview. 'I would see all these different ages and different ethnicities. Everybody was sharing the stage together, and it was this beautiful communal experience, a beautiful exchange of sounds and sentiments.' Trombone Shorty extending an invitation to her embodies the spirit of New Orleans, she said — and it's a moment she's not taking lightly. 'To sing those beautiful words about our country and to sing them for so many people who love this country and love the sport of football. ... It's going to be a blast,' Daigle told Trombone Shorty's arrangement of 'America the Beautiful' brings some Louisiana flair to the patriotic number, Daigle said on the 'Arroyo Grande' podcast. 'When we rehearsed 'America the Beautiful,' we worked on the song maybe 15 or 20 minutes, but we talked for over two hours, just hanging out in his studio,' Daigle told 'That's a good sign. That's what you want to pour into a performance like (the Super Bowl). You want the love and grit to be expressed on a stage of this caliber.' The singer, who is one of the rare contemporary Christian artists whose music has managed to achieve mainstream success, also said her faith will influence her performance. ''God shed His grace on me,' that line, it just really gripped me to the core in a way,' she told the 'Arroyo Grande' podcast, per Fox News. 'How will it cut through to this generation, the age that we are living in right now, the political climate that we're living in right now?' she continued. 'How can I use this song to cut through to people who might be jaded toward our country or might not love what we have in this country or what we've built in this country?' Seven-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste, who is also from Louisiana and was the subject of the recent documentary 'American Symphony,' will perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl, and R&B singer and New Orleans native Ledisi will perform 'Lift Every Voice and Sing.' Daigle released a self-titled album in 2023, and recently concluded a tour — which came to the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, last year. She has a handful of concert dates lined up (so far) for 2025. 'I've started writing new songs,' she told 'I can definitely see having another record out in the next couple years.' While the singer said she has other passions she's interested in pursuing — including expanding her foundation, 'The Price Fund" — she has said that music will always be part of her life. 'I love so much getting to perform in front of people, getting to bring messages of hope to people, getting to see people genuinely impacted,' she previously told the Deseret News. 'That's something that I want to be a part of forever.'
