Over at ITV’s latest singing nonsense Starstruck, Sheridan Smith had news for a trio of Cher botherers.
“If I could turn back time,” said Sheridan.
“I’d… ”. You’d what, Sheridan? Call in sick on Day 1 of Pooch Perfect and change your number?
Refuse to perform in a group alongside vocal powerhouses like Adam Lambert and Beverley Knight?
Insist that your Starstruck contract states you do not have to say that absolutely everyone is brilliant?
Answer? None of the above. Sheridan merely told them: “I’d watch you all
over again.”
Still, there was some good news for Sheridan in this second episode.
She didn’t have to sing with Lambert and Knight, because the judges’ opening song had been ditched.
Maybe The Voice had complained that Starstruck had nicked its idea?
Then again, it was hardly the only “something borrowed” on this show.
It’s simply a crude remake of Stars In Their Eyes, only with three tribute acts at a time instead of one, and – for shame – without the famous smoky doors.
I’m not quite sure why ITV went down the trio road, so let’s assume it was so we can yell “you look/sound nowt like them!” at three times as many contestants.
Sadly, it has created a small problem: We probably won’t be seeing the quirkier artistes.
Well, ITV’s scouts are never going to find three Joe Dolce, Jedward or Renee & Renato tribute acts are they?
Hence we’ve had the usual suspects, such as Mercury, Gaga, Cher, and Buble.
We’ve also had George Michael, which was a brave move considering no one will ever top the legendary Bill Decker’s 1990s turn on Shooting Stars.
That said, it was nice that one of the Georges had a claim to fame – his grandad was in Stealers Wheel,
who did Stuck In The Middle With You.
I just wish I could say it was the first time Starstruck had put me in mind of that Reservoir Dogs scene where a guy’s ears end up bleeding.