Britain's Got Talent saxophonist Julian Smith from Birmingham wows judges

Apr 22 2009 by Jane Tyler, Birmingham Mail

He went before the show’s producers at the NEC last November for a pre-audition and was then called back to appear before the judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre earlier this year.

“I had to wait four or five hours before I went on and was then only on for a couple of minutes,” he said.

“I was incredibly nervous but then people started clapping and I relaxed.”

He was even more astonished when the normally acid-tongued Simon Cowell liked his performance.

“He was saying how the show was all about finding someone like me who has talent and needs a break,” he said. “What he also said, which wasn’t shown on air, was that I was very commercial and had a great future.”

Julian said that since Saturday his phone has “not stopped ringing” and he is hoping to get offers of work through the exposure.

But the call he is waiting for the most is the one from the producers telling him if he will progress any further in the competition.

Around 170 acts have been put forward to the next round, but only 40 will make it through to the live semi finals when the public will vote for them.