School teacher Tom Ball stunned both the audiences and judges with a show-stopping performance on Sunday’s edition of Britain’s Got Talent, leading to many people claiming him as ‘the male equivalent’ to Susan Boyle.
The unassuming 23-year-old teacher auditioned for the show with the support of his dad and fiancée, and after shrugging off an amusing mix-up from Simon Cowell after the judge misheard his name as ‘Tumble’, announced rather boldly that he’d been compared to West End legend Michael Ball.
"I’m very excited, I’m really excited!" he said sheepishly, before revealing he hadn’t told any of his students that he was auditioning for the show, wanting it to 'be a surprise' for them before admitting he would just have to accept it if things went ‘badly’.
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The stage was set, but any misconceptions people might have had about Tom were instantly swept aside as he launched into a masterful rendition of Sam Smith’s ‘Writing's on the Wall’ that netted him a standing ovation and brought the house down.
“You've got about 4,000 yeses," a stunned Simon Cowell told Tom after his powerhouse performance, which immediately drew comparisons to the iconic 2009 moment when Susan Boyle sang ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from Les Miserables.
"First weep at #BGT well done Tom Ball," wrote one fan, adding: "I can see him as the new Susan Boyle."
"HOW DID HE NOT GET A GOLDEN BUZZER?! Seriously he has the best voice I've heard on this show since the likes of Susan Boyle and Paul Potts. He's special!! Wow!!#BGT #BritainsGotTalent," another chimed in.
"Tom Ball = Susan Boyle. Absolutely AMAZING! Well done fella!," wrote another viewer.
But it wasn’t just the audiences that were full of praise for Tom - the judges loved him too. “Who knew what a powerhouse you were?” Amanda Holden said. “That was an exceptional audition, one of the best singers we have auditioned in the past 16 years.”
Alesha Dixon also told Tom she felt “really moved” by his performance, while Simon praised Tom’s personality alongside his talent.
Meanwhile David Walliams remarked that Tom’s kids were ‘lucky’ to have him teaching them, before adding to the chorus of praise and sending Tom through to the next round with four resounding ‘Yeses’.
Britain’s Got Talent looks for the most talented acts in the UK to perform at the Royal Variety Performance before members of the royal family, and win £250,000.
After she was runner-up to dance troupe Diversity, Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the UK's best-selling debut album of all time, beating the previous record held by Spirit by Leona Lewis.
Topics: TV and Film
Tom Sanders