Ray of hope
year or two I had been thinking about competing in Britain’s Got Talent but figured I could never get up in front of Simon Cowell.
“But then I thought at my age I’ve nothing to lose so I’ve been enjoying the rollercoaster of it all.
“I was more worried I’d be embarrassed if the judges told me to go home and get off the stage but they were so positive and Simon said he loved me, I was one of his favourite auditions ever.
“When I sang the song Everybody Hurts I was fine because I’m so used to it, but that four seconds afterwards felt like a lifetime.
“I thought maybe I should walk off now but then Simon stood up and it all kicked off from there.” The popular priest said winning the contest would be a dream come true.
He added: “It would be great to win it for Ireland as I’m the only Irish act, so if I could get all the Irish behind me it would be fantastic.”
However, he said leaving the clergy wouldn’t take his fancy.
Fr Ray added: “If I do pretty well there’s a possibility of a new album THREE weeks after the Manchester Arena bombing schoolgirl dancers Dark Cloud were struggling to rehearse. One of their troupe, Hollie Booth, had been badly injured in the blast, which had killed her aunt.
The explosion had left Hollie with a broken right knee, left foot and leg, and she had suffered internal injuries and extensive nerve damage.
Her friends did not know if Hollie would ever be able to dance with them again, or if they would ever feel able to dance without her.
And then, during a rehearsal, Hollie came through the doors in her new wheelchair and asked to and signing up with Simon and Sony. Down the road I could look at taking a sabbatical for a year if I won.
“I’ve never taken one yet and I’ve been 29 years a priest this June.
“If I talk to my bishop nicely he EMOTIONAL Girls’ Britain’s Got Talent audition moved judges to tears
join in. The girls immediately adapted their routine to accommodate Hollie.
Choreographer Thea Boyle, who has been teaching the 11-strong troupe of 10 to 14-yearolds for six years, said: “I knew Hollie wanted to come back to see the girls, so we decided to surprise them.
“Hollie just turned up one day and sat in the middle of everyone.
“She seemed a bit dazed at first, but she came round and it was so lovely.”
The girls, who have now changed their name to the inspirational Rise Unbroken, feature on tonight’s live semifinal on TV3 at 7.30pm. might accommodate me.” Wearing his priest’s garb on stage is sending a positive message for the church.
He said: “I like to wear my priest’s collar on stage.
“I am a priest and I’d like to think I’m giving a positive message for the Church because we get a lot of bashing and we’re not all bad. “Most of us are good guys just out there trying to do the best we can.”
IMPRESSED Simon Cowell