A contestant on Britain’s Got Talent has stunned viewers with a voice that fans have compared to Susan Boyle.
Secondary school teacher Tom Ball performed during Sunday night’s (17 April) episode of Britain’s Got Talent, which returned to screens on Saturday (16 April) after a two-year hiatus.
The 23-year-old from West Sussex auditioned for the reality series with a rendition of Sam Smith’s 2015 James Bond theme song “Writing’s on the Wall”.
Ball wowed the judges and the audience at the London Palladium with his performance.
Viewers at home were quick to compare the teacher to Susan Boyle, who was the unexpected runner-up on the third season of Britain’s Got Talent in 2009.
Boyle’s record, I Dreamed a Dream, went on to become the UK’s best-selling debut of all time. She has since released two top 10 UK albums, including 2019’s Ten.
“I can see him as the next Susan Boyle,” wrote one viewer, who added that Ball was responsible for the “first weep” of the season.
Another added: “Tom Ball = Susan Boyle. Absolutely AMAZING!”
Someone else wrote: “Tom Ball is like the male version of Susan Boyle!” while a third person called Ball’s performance “another Susan Boyle moment!”
“Tom is going to be good; it’s the Susan Boyle effect for 2022,” said a viewer.
One person commented that Ball also bears a physical resemblance to Boyle, writing: “Tom Ball really does look like a young male version of Susan Boyle!”
Ball won over the judges and the crowd, with Simon Cowell commenting on the audience’s reaction: “I think you’ve got about 4,000 yeses.”
Britain’s Got Talent continues Saturday at 8pm on ITV.
