Golden buzzer act Loren Allred wowed the Britain’s Got Talent judges in the auditions by singing Never Enough from The Greatest Showman, before revealing that the song is actually her own.
And as she sailed through the show’s semi-final on Thursday evening, judge Simon Cowell weighed in on claims that the show is a ‘fix’.
Fans of the ITV show were unhappy with the singer’s success, noting that she is already famous and has secured a record deal prior to the show.
Speaking out: Simon Cowell has broken his silence on Britain’s Got Talent contestant Loren Allred ‘fix’ claims
But having his own say on the backlash, Simon stuck by Loren as he praised her semi-final performance.
I also know you’ve got a bit of stick in the media saying “oh it’s a fix” because you’ve been on another show, but that’s the whole point of show’s like this, you give people a second chance,’ detailed Simon.
Admitting he wanted her to win the semi-final and head though to the final, the judge continued: ‘We haven’t had a female winner this week so far and I hope you change that after tonight’.
Through! Loren sailed through the show’s semi-final on Thursday evening after winning the public vote
Second chance: also know you’ve got a bit of stick in the media saying “oh it’s a fix” because you’ve been on another show, but that’s the whole point of show’s like this, you give people a second chance,’ detailed Simon
And as his hope, Loren did score a place in Saturday’s final after winning the public vote later that evening.
Alesha Dixon echoed the view, said that Loren had ‘just as much right to be on the show as anyone else’ and that she had to ‘work harder’ than other contestants to prove herself.
In 2012, the singer was a contestant on The Voice and competed under the coaching of Adam Levine – but was eliminated after the first week of live shows.
Agreed: Alesha Dixon echoed Simon’s view, said that Loren had ‘just as much right to be on the show as anyone else’ and that she had to ‘work harder’ than other contestants to prove herself
Emotional: The star was overwhelmed as she chatted with Ant and Dec after winning the public vote
And after singing Never Enough in The Greatest Showman, the song also reached number 88 on the Hot 100.
But after the controversy following her audition, a BGT spokesman told MailOnline at the time: ‘Whilst most people will have heard the infamous Greatest Showman track, Loren is not a household name, and she deserves her spot on the BGT stage.
‘We hope that such articles will not count against somebody who is well deserving of this opportunity. It’s fantastic that Loren is now able to step out and stand in her own right to be the face, and not just the voice, of one of the most well-known tracks of all time.’
Golden buzzer: Loren Allred wowed the Britain’s Got Talent judges in the auditions by singing Never Enough from The Greatest Showman
