June 18, 200719 yr 'Britain's Got Talent' winner Potts to spend prize on a new smile Last updated at 17:59pm on 18th June 2007 The mobile phone salesman who is set to become an opera star after winning Britain's Got Talent revealed today that he would begin spending his £100,000 prize money - on new teeth. Paul Potts, 36, won over the nation with a performance of Nessun Dorma in the final of the hit ITV1 talent show, watched by 12.1 million viewers. Scroll down for more The former Tesco shelf-stacker from Port Talbot, South Wales, now gets to perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. Potts, who has also landed a record deal with TV show judge Simon Cowell, said of fixing his teeth: "I'm not sure about veneers but I do want to get the crown repaired. He added:"It would be nice to be able to smile naturally. I feel very self conscious about it at the moment. But whatever I do I'm not going to change who I am." Scroll down for more... Mobile phone salesman Paul Potts won Britain's Got Talent More.... RAY CONNOLLY: The glorious amateurs who give us all hopeGALLERY: The winners and losers in Britain's Got Talent Potts said his win had not yet sunk in but that he was planning to pay off his £30,000 debts. But he was not yet certain that he he would give up his job. The 36-year-old said that Pavarotti spotted he had talent when he asked him to sing for him many years ago. He recalled: "Pavarotti took me aside and asked me to sing again. There were 10 other people there and I was the only one he asked so I took that as a compliment." Potts ran out of breath on one note. Pavarotti told him he should not have and asked him to try singing a classic from the opera Tosca instead. He had spent £12,000 on singing lessons before deciding his dream was not meant to be. Today the winner said: "There are a few people who are going to want me to pay off some debts. "Two years off sick knocks you for six when all you have to live on is your credit card. "I had to work hard just to keep my head above water. "I still can't believe I'm in this position. I don't know how long it's going to take to sink in. At the moment it's all a bit of a haze." He said of his job: "I'm a team leader at Carphone Warehouse but I don't think anybody is expecting me back. I'll just see what happens." His doleful expression, ramshackle appearance and booming voice have made him an unlikely national idol. After opening the show with a stirring performance of Puccini's Nessum Dorma, Potts, from Port Talbot, received a standing ovation from the live studio audience and was unanimously praised by the programme's three judges, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden. After being declared the winner, Paul Potts was close to tears and said that performing for the Queen 'means absolutely everything'. He added: "I cannot believe it at all, I'm like jelly. Thank-you for believing in me, it is absolutely bonkers." Scroll down for more... Six-year-old Connie Talbot dazzled the audience Simon Cowell said: "I'm so proud of you. Next week you are going to be in a recording studio making your debut album." Fellow judge Piers Morgan told him: "You deserve it I can't think of anybody better to represent this show." Potts regained his poise after the result of two million phone votes was revealed, and delivered a final rendition of Nessun Dorma for the TV cameras. After his victory was announced Simon Cowell confirmed that Paul will be in a recording studio next week, recording his own album. As well as receiving a cheque for £100,000 - which will cover £30,000 worth of debts he has amassed trying to achieve his dream of stardom - the tenor will now perform in front of the Queen at this year's Royal Variety Performance. Success means that Potts is likely to secure a lucrative record deal - and has already been lined up to appear in a series of shows and concerts. Indeed, his first round audition - in which he left the judges speechless and Miss Holden crying - has already taken over as the number one most watched clip on internet website, YouTube. Although the former supermarket shelf-stacker has not sung since a near fatal motorcycle accident in 2003, his victory is perhaps tainted after it was revealed that he has received professional voice training. Scroll down for more... Bar Wizards, the cocktail-spinning duo from Manchester It has also emerged that Potts has, in fact, been struggling for 10 years on the fringes of the operatic world, and after winning £8,000 in a TV talent contest eight years ago, spent his earnings attending various training courses in Italy. And having performed at a master class in front of Luciano Pavarotti and Katia Ricciarelli - lead to accusations that he held an unfair advantage over the other five finalists. His victory, however, was a close-fought thing. Scroll down for more... Left: Ventriloquist Damon Scott had the audience in stitches, while Bessie Curzons worked his charm Potts beat six-year-old singer Connie Talbot, whose performance of Over The Rainbow made TV show judge Amanda Holden cry. The gap-toothed schoolgirl from Sutton Coldfield is, though, set for a bright future after being provisionally signed up to Cowell's own record label, Sony BMG. Indeed, she has already been given odds of 2/1 by bookmakers Ladbroke's to produce a number one hit single by the end of the year. He said: "It's been a great privilege to be on the show and to be with everybody on it. It was like a support network between us." He added: "There are many people in Britain that don't have this great opportunity that I've had and I'm so fortunate to have it. "I've been singing for myself. I wasn't doing it to earn money. It was something that I was doing for me. It was just a passion, I hope that comes across. I really do feel it here," he said, pointing to his chest. Potts added: "I'm an ordinary bloke who just loves singing." "I wasn't truly aware of the effect my voice can have on others so the reaction has been a surprise, it's just incredible." Potts, who celebrated with a beer, said: "My feet haven't touched the ground. "I did suffer bullying when I was going to school so having confidence in myself has been a bit of a struggle. "So to go in front of some of the most feared judges on this planet was taking a considerable risk and I'm just glad that people in this country believed in me enough to make that risk pay off. "I always will be slightly nervous. It's just one of those little things. I always will be slightly awkward. This is all fresh and new and I want it to remain that way." The new star added that he would like to duet with Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins. Elsewhere on the show, 11-year-old Bessie Cursons, who was described by Cowell as the most 'professional' of all the acts, impressed the audience with a skit of Get Me To The Church On Time. Scroll down for more... Judges: Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell Damon Scott, a 27-year-old ventriloquist, was also a surprise hit with his Michael Jackson puppet act. Performing alongside a monkey called Bubbles, to Jackson's Earth Song, he is now likely to be signed up to a full-time agent and hopes to secure future television work. The Kombat Breakers, a break-dancing group from Coventry, also impressed, head-spinning and backflipping their way through a high-octane routine to Run DMC. Fronted by 25-year-old Leeroy Bailey, and made up of Simeon Henry, 17, Tyrone Miller, 16, Leon Lea, 18, Philip Bolton, 17, Ryan Stilwell, 20, and 13-year-old Darrian Stevenson Joseph, were described by the judges as 'modern role models'. After securing corporate sponsorship, the seven-strong group hope to use their newfound fame to get signed up as a professional touring act. Surprise finalists, the Bar Wizards, flared to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now, throwing cocktail shakers and glasses into the air with abandon. While a night in front of the Queen is no longer a possibility, the Manchester-born duo has already been inundated with bar-tending job offers. Potts, meanwhile, who is married to his wife of four years, Julie - whom he met in an internet chat room - first sang opera eight years ago at a karaoke competition. Wearing a scruffy suit and an open-necked shirt, he captured the public's imagination after being described by the judges as a 'lump of coal' that could be turned into a 'diamond'. After Potts was confirmed as the winner Simon Cowell said that 'Britain's got Talent' has been the best show he had ever worked on. The ITV show thrashed the Channel 4's Big Brother, which he labelled "unwatchable rubbish" in the ratings all week. He said: "I simply can't watch it. Putting eight people into a house and waiting to see what happens isn't television to me, it's rubbish. "It's a travesty that people are enjoying this kind of thing on telly. I wouldn't watch it if it was the only thing on." Cowell is thought to be worth about £60million thanks to his reality shows such as Pop Idol, American Idol and the X Factor as well as his record company, Syco. He also said he wants to get former Baywatch star David Hasslehoff on the next series of Britain's Got Talent. He said of the Hoff, who judges alongside Cowell and Piers Morgan on the American version of the show: "I think we will definitely have a fourth judge next time, let's get the Hoff over here. I love him and so does this country so he would be perfect."
June 18, 200719 yr I watched the final with my dad and i said straight away that the opera singer was by far the best although i did enjoy those blokes spinning bottles from manchester but i'm biased
June 18, 200719 yr Author I thought the standard in the final was pretty high. Certainly much higher than X Factor, for example!!;)
June 18, 200719 yr i agree, i didn't think much of the monkey man though i still can't over the opera singer, he was lacking in self confidence i've never seen anyone like that
June 18, 200719 yr Author i agree, i didn't think much of the monkey man though i still can't over the opera singer, he was lacking in self confidence i've never seen anyone like that That's one of the reasons people liked him. He was the "underdog"!!;) Anyway, I'd far rather see someone like that achieve success than those arrogant, narcissistic Il Divo lot!!:smug: Actually, most - if not all - the finalists came across as nice people, which was great to see!! Big Brother could learn a lot from that!!
June 18, 200719 yr i never understood the big brother hype i watched it once this series and it involved some girl blabbing on about how she aspired to be a WAG gormless conversations about boring matters is not fun
June 18, 200719 yr Author i never understood the big brother hype i watched it once this series and it involved some girl blabbing on about how she aspired to be a WAG gormless conversations about boring matters is not fun Very true. If only more people would realise that!!;) It should be renamed Big Borether. :rolleyes:
June 18, 200719 yr Author I know where that Damon Scott lives :lol: The Bar Wizards should have won. But I think they'd have got more votes if they'd called themselves The Bar Stewards!!:P
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