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Stavros Flatley makes talent show final
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Last night comedy dance act Stavros Flatly won the public vote to secure a place in Saturday's grand final, with father-and-son performers Demetrios and Michalakis Demetriou, from north London, dancing to Zorba The Greek.
They will be joined in the final by 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi from Swansea, who was reduced to tears when he was saved by the judges' vote.
Watch Shaheen's performance here.
He saw off competition from dance group MD Showgroup, from Liverpool, who dedicated their performance to young murder victims Anthony Walker and Rhys Jones.
It was the third semi-final of five during which a total of 10 acts will be chosen to compete in the final.
Stavros Flatly and Jafargholi will join dance groups Flawless and Diversity, and singers Shaun Smith and Susan Boyle.
The hopefuls will compete for a prize of £100,000 and a chance to perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. The next semi-final will take place on Thursday night.
Judge Amanda Holden said if viewers did not vote for electrical company director Demetrios, 41, and Michalakis, 12, they were "insane".
Even the acerbic Simon Cowell gave them praise, saying: "I should hate you, its sort of rubbish but brilliant. It's you that I really really like, I can't take it seriously, and it's incredibly infectious. The final would be a worst place without you two there."
Schoolboy Shaheen, who won Cowell over in his audition after being told to switch songs, again wowed the judges with a performance of 'And I'm Telling You'.
Holden said: "I don't know what it is with the water in Wales, they've produced some fantastic singers. And you are on the list, above Tom Jones I would say. What I love about you, is that you have given a mature performance, but you still look like a kid and have all those childlike qualities that are going to get you into the final. There is no doubt in my mind."
Cowell declared the 12-year-old could not have chosen a more difficult song.
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