Nervous and confronted with extremely high stakes, 24-year-old Welsh primary school teacher Emma Winter took the stage on Britain’s Got Talent (BGT). As soon as she disclosed the startling fact that her 35 elementary school kids were observing and had collectively informed the judges that “there’s gonna be 35 angry children waiting” if anyone dared to press their buzzer, her introduction transformed into a terrified warning. Emma, obviously uncomfortable in this new environment, tried to sing a soft and lovely version of “Thinking Out Loud,” a love ballad by Ed Sheeran, despite this amusing but real danger.
As a reflection of her anxious but genuine effort, her performance was full of genuine sweetness and beautiful tonality. Even the most unyielding judge could not be convinced by such genuineness. In spite of her students’ clear warnings, Simon Cowell punched his buzzer midway through the song, causing the room to tense up. The live audience, who were obviously into her act, booed Simon for his sudden brutality. At that pivotal moment, the enormous risk that Emma faced by abandoning the security of her classroom for the harsh realities of the entertainment industry became crystal clear.
In his scathing review, Simon said, “The whole performance felt under par and a little bit boring.” He did, however, praise the “lovely sweetness” of her voice after the song. Confirming that the prospect of aggressive youngsters did not frighten him, he said that he had not heard anything “distinct” enough to recall. Though Emma’s brave audition was ultimately unsuccessful (at least two judges said “no”), it will go down in history as the time Simon Cowell risked the wrath of a whole elementary school for the purpose of constructive criticism.
