When Nabe stood in front of the judges on Britain’s Got Talent, he said he had flown over 25 hours from Japan to perform his unique talent on the show. While he didn’t give the judges any clues as to what his performance would entail, he said he wanted to “make people smile all over the world”. When asked whether he thought he could win the competition, he gave a confident “yes” in response, with a big thumbs up. Then he took his place to perform and what came next, nobody could have predicted.
Nabe revealed that his skill was as an impressionist, but not just any old impressionist – a hair impressionist. The performer styled his hair in various different ways, recreating looks from Maleficent to Snoopy. He even squirted hair product on top of his head to do an impression of Shaun the Sheep and placed a tiny white shirt over his head for an impression of Simon Cowell’s chest hair. It was safe to say Nabe’s unique and unexpected performance had the audience and the judges in stitches.
Amanda Holden was breathless with laughter throughout the act, and when Nabe’s performance was over, she slammed her fist down on the Golden Buzzer, sending the performer straight through to the live shows. The judges shared shocked looks, but Amanda congratulated Nabe, telling him, “This made me howl. I’ve never seen anything like it.” While many viewers were puzzled by Amanda’s decision, others agreed with Amanda’s enthusiasm, leaving comments on the online video such as “This made my day!”
At least one thing is undeniable – while Britain’s Got Talent has seen its fair share of impressionists over the years, it has never seen a hair impressionist like Nabe. In fact, it seems that this is a performance entirely unique to Nabe, with nobody else taking an act like this to the stage. The only comparable instance appears to be actor Jason Sudeikis’s appearance on Ellen in 2018, where he styled his newly grown-out hair to replicate the styles worn by Prince and Rachel from Friends.
Among singers and dancers who have also received the Golden Buzzer, Nabe’s act will surely stand out at live shows purely on the basis of originality. With his original performance providing viewers with surprises and laughter with every impression he did, it is hard not to wonder what weird and wonderful impressions he will be cooking up for his next appearance on the show. It may be difficult to imagine anything that will top an on-stage impression of Simon Cowell’s chest hair, but with a mind as inventive as Nabe’s, anything is possible.