If there is anyone who shows that we shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s 12 year old Beau Dermott who wowed judges on Britain’s Got Talent with a spellbinding performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ from the hit Broadway musical Wicked.
Originally from Liverpool, Beau looked visibly nervous when she stepped onto the famous Britain’s Got Talent stage, but there was a determined glint in her eye. Judge Simon Cowell looked unsure when Beau announced that she would be singing ‘Defying Gravity’ with fellow judge Amanda Holden commenting, ‘It’s a hard song.’ And it certainly is – usually reserved for the powerhouses of Broadway, it seemed unlikely that Beau Dermott could have done the song justice.
It did not take Beau long to prove her doubters wrong. From just the opening notes, it was clear that Beau was destined for something brilliant. The voice that bursts out from her does not sound like it should belong to a 12 year old school girl, but a seasoned Broadway professional who could capture the hearts of audiences.
And Beau unquestionably did that; the audience erupted with applause as she sang with a polished professionalism that seems uncharacteristic for such a young girl and they were on their feet before she had even finished singing the rousing final note. She even earned a standing ovation from all four judges with the famously difficult to impress judge Simon Cowell admitting, ‘I was not expecting that.’
And as if that wasn’t enough, Beau impressed Amanda Holden so much that she pressed the coveted Golden Buzzer, securing Beau’s place in the semi-final of the show – although there’s no doubt she would have made it there on her own! As the stage shone with gold and confetti rained down onto her, Beau burst into tears and her proud mum Karen ran onto the stage to congratulate.
In her semi-final performance, Beau once again sang a song from a musical. This time it was ‘Someone Like You’ from Jekyll and Hyde. After yet another showstopping performance, she won the public vote and progressed into the final. In the final she again delivered another mind-blowing rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’. She ended up placing fifth overall in the competition.
This was not, however, the end of Beau Dermott! Since being on Britain’s Got Talent, Beau was hand-picked by none other than Dame Vera Lynn to perform in her 100th birthday celebration concert at the London Palladium. Beau performed an excellent rendition of ‘Glad Rag Doll’ that caught the attention of Decca Records. She went on to sign a major deal with the record label, joining the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Katherine Jenkins, Michael Balls and even Diana Ross!
Following her deal with Decca Records, Beau released her debut album Brave, which features ‘Defying Gravity’ alongside other musical theatre classics such as ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Les Miserables and ‘Over the Rainbow’ from the Wizard of Oz, as well as other classics like ‘Tears in Heaven’ by Eric Claption and ‘Wings’ by Birdy.
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