George Sampson
**WIN BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT LIVE TICKETS!!** /?
At 15 ? he won’t be 16 until the end of June ? young George Sampson is a bit of a showbiz veteran.?
The break-dancing sensation who won 2008’s Britain’s Got Talent competition and then performed in front of Prince Charles at the Royal Variety Show has had quite a year.
And now he’s about to go out on the road again with this year’s finalists on the Britain’s Got Talent Live Tour. There’ll be 14 shows spread over ten days, starting at the NIA in Birmingham on June 12 and finishing at Wembley Arena on June 21.
‘I’m the guest artist,’ explains George. ‘And I can’t wait. I loved it last time round. In fact, it was the best thing about the whole Britain’s Got Talent experience.?
‘For me, the telly contest went by too quickly. I did my audition and then, eight months later, it was all over in a week. It was only when it came to the tour that I really got to know the other acts and to make some good friends.
‘I got on really well with singer Andrew Johnston but he lives in Carlisle so it’s been a bit hard to keep in touch. But I see Faryl Smith all the time at premieres and opening nights.’
So what will George be doing this time round? ‘I’m keeping that under my hat,’ he says, like a seasoned professional. ‘Let’s just say it’s going to be a completely new routine I’ve dreamt up myself and which I hope will be as good as ? if not better than ? Singin’ In The Rain.’
That’s the routine George has just performed on the Oprah Winfrey Show. At Oprah’s personal invitation, George flew to Chicago in April and, with just four other young performers, strutted his stuff in front of an audience of millions.
‘It was a fantastic experience,’ he says. ‘And Oprah was so nice. She’s got real presence but also she makes you feel like you’re the most important person in the room. I was soaking wet for my interview with her because I’d just finished my routine. But she made it all so easy.’
This was just one highlight in a year that included George appearing for a month in the West End musical, Into The Hoods, being featured in two internet advertising campaigns ? one for Nat West, the other for Nokia ? and making a DVD that sailed to the top of the charts.?
Then there’s been the small matter of studying in between times for his GCSEs. He’s just sat four and will complete the last exam a couple of days into the Britain’s Got Talent tour. ‘There’s a college round the corner from where we live and a tutor comes to the flat.’
He’s sensibly decided to carry on at college and sit his A-levels in Business, Computer Studies, English and Maths. ‘Who knows what will happen in the future? It seems a good idea to have some qualifications to fall back on.
‘Mum and I moved to London,’ he explains, ‘when I was dancing in the West End. And we’ve decided to stay on. Almost all my work is in the capital so it makes sense to be based here.’
But he admits he does sometimes miss life back in Warrington and all his friends. ‘It’s the right decision although I do sometimes get a bit fed up when I’m told I can’t go out because I might get recognised. But look, I’m not complaining. Britain’s Got Talent completely changed my life and has given me the opportunity of a career as an entertainer.’
He certainly knows what he wants. ‘Five years from now, my dream would be to be appearing in America in a stage musical of my life story. My ambition is to be an all-rounder: singer, dancer, actor.’
George is a good-looking lad. What about those adoring female fans? He laughs. ‘The trick is to keep them happy but not too happy. Sometimes, there’s a very thin line between them being your fan and them thinking they’re your girlfriend.
‘My job is making it clear exactly where that line stands. I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment but, if I did, all the other fans wouldn’t like it. But there’s plenty of time for that. Anyway,’ says George, ‘I’ve got a tour to concentrate on right now.’
Britain’s Got Talent ? Live Tour is at the CIA on Friday 19 June. Tickets are £32.50. Call the box office on 029 2022 4488.
To win a pair of tickets to the show, tell us:?
Q: The winner of Britain's Got Talent gets to perform at which revered performance?
Answers via email to ryan@thesprout.co.uk by midday on Friday 12 June.
