Craig Ball, a 24-year-old from Hertfordshire, stepped nervously but resolutely onto the Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) stage, ready to make a difference. Craig wanted nothing more than to win the contest and finally escape his boring job as a maintenance worker in central London. His duties included changing light bulbs and fixing plumbing. Friends had encouraged him to try out for a singing gig because of his “Unique Style,” but this was his biggest performance to date. Because of his anxious yet optimistic temperament, the judges were unprepared for the astounding inventiveness he was about to display.
Craig went with Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” for her power ballad, but she gave a performance that was totally her own, using only celebrity impressions. The judges were originally perplexed from the very beginning. His heartfelt performance seemed like a solemn, if unconventional, homage. A variety of voices, including one compared to Morgan Freeman, became noticeable as the song continued, though. In what seemed like an ordinary song, he transformed it into a hilarious, contemporary, and exceedingly brilliant comedic routine by pulling off a succession of impersonations of famous singers that very few people dare to try.
The idea astounded the judges. “Really, really brilliant art,” David Walliams said, and he lauded it as a “brilliantly original way to do Impressions” right away. The fact that Amanda Holden “did not expect that” made her admit that it was funny. The harshest critic, Simon Cowell, summed it up best when he said, “I think we may have discovered a big star,” after describing Craig’s performance as “current” and “clever.” Craig Ball overcame his fears and advanced in the competition by obtaining four enthusiastic “yeses” thanks to his contagious enthusiasm for his creative ability.
