Standing ovation for Fr Ray on Britain's Got Talent
Fr Ray Kelly is “everything we’ve been waiting for,” according to Simon Cowell, who led a standing ovation to the Oldcastle parish priest on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ last night.
Fr Ray sang REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ in the live audition screened on TV3, and got four ‘yes’ votes from judges Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams.
When asked why he entered, Fr Ray said he thought he might become the first singing priest to win Britain’s Got Talent, which he always watched and which he said had the edge on other shows as it offered the chance to perform at the Royal Variety.
“You just might be!” remarked Simon Cowell.
In a profile video, Fr Ray explained how he had become a viral hit after singing at a wedding a few years ago.
The 64 year-old cleric said he chose ‘’Everybody Hurts’ as it is near and dear to his heart as being a priest he is in touch with a lot of pain, as well as joy and happiness, and as a priest can relate to it.
After his performance, Cowell led the judges and audience in an ovation, clearly affecting Fr Ray.
David Walliams said: “Wow, a beautiful performance, I have never seen a priest stand like that at a microphone before and sing like that. It was full of soul and passion, a brilliant performance.”
Alisha Dixon said it was soothing and calming, and everybody was listening to every single world and relating it to their lives, adding :“You seem such a lovely man and this is a beautiful audition”, while Amanda Holden described it as “having everything, brilliant and honest, with the whole congregation behind it”.
Simon Cowell said: “I didn’t know what to expect, one of my favourite ever auditions, I really mean that, I think your voice is beautiful, I love that version of the song, genuinely, it’s everything we’ve been waiting for, I absolutely loved it.”
Fr Ray told presenters Ant and Dec that he was an “emotional wreck” after the performance.
“That was some congregation out there,” said Dec.
“I should have had a collection,” joked Fr Ray.
Fr Ray goes through to the live semi-finals. The act who captures the heart and imagination of the British public will secure themselves the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance 2018, and £250,000 – that would be some collection!