Potts insists: I’m no opera pro
June 16, 2007
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THE SUN was swamped with calls from furious readers last night after it emerged Britain’s Got Talent finalist Paul Potts is a trained opera singer who has been coached by PAVAROTTI.
Unassuming mobile phone salesman Paul won a standing ovation after he sailed through to the final gaining the largest share of the public vote.
Following his semi-final performance on Wednesday judge Piers Morgan gushed: “When we signed for this show we had a vision of finding someone doing an ordinary job, someone unassuming who quietly had this amazing talent that we could provide a platform for. You are that guy.”
But yesterday angry viewers told how they felt DUPED after details of Paul’s classical training emerged.
Far from being a shy amateur, Paul has received extensive singing training.
He was a regular with Bath Opera, where roles included the lead in Verdi Don Carlos.
He spent two summers touring northern Italy with a major opera school and took master classes with top stars.
He even got to sing in one hosted by his idol, Luciano Pavarotti.
Paul isn’t even a newcomer to TV talent shows. In 1999 he won £8,000 on Michael Barrymore’s My Kind Of Music.
The Sun was flooded with calls from readers who felt conned.
Matt Young, 33, said: “On the show there has been no mention that he performed in front of Pavarotti.
“It is dishonest of the programme makers. The show is supposed to be all about undiscovered talent but it seems Paul’s talent was recognised a long time ago.”
Julie Shepherd, 29, of East London, said: “My husband and I are absolutely fuming. We feel duped. We voted for Potts and are thinking about asking for our money back.”
Last night Paul defended himself, claiming he was just an “ordinary bloke.”
He said: “I am not a professional. I’ve never been paid for my singing, all the training I’ve received I paid for myself, and I grafted hard to do so.
In total I have spent about £2,000.
“The judges said I was an ordinary guy doing an ordinary job and that is absolutely true. I have worked at the Carphone Warehouse for three years.
“The tour I did in Italy was part of a course, it wasn’t professional.”
Let’s be real — you cannot sing ‘Nessun Dorma’ that well without training.
All those experiences they mention in the article are pay to sing gigs. You pay for the opportunity to sing in Europe, sometimes with big names in the hopes of being discovered. 99 percent of the time, you pay your hard-earned money, sing and go home empty handed.
And singing one role with a small opera company does not make you “discovered”. Those jobs hardly pay (sometimes as little as $1,000 for weeks of rehearsals and a few performances). After you finish the job, you are back to your day job.
For those of us who have tried to do this, being a pro means at least making more than the expenses involved in training, workshops, travel to auditions and the like.
I hope he makes it for all the rest of us.
PS If you want to hear a brilliant version of Nessun dorma, listen to the digitally remastered version of Jussi Bjorling singing it on Youtube.
We love ya Pottsy lad.I read the Sun enough to know it is a poor excuse for a birdcage liner.Wait till these Freepers see what the Sun says about Fred Thompson.