Former Scottish Britain's Got Talent Winner Jai McDowall has admitted he is excited to return home to Scotland, as hit show Ansell’s Les Musicals lands in Edinburgh this week.
Jai and G4 frontman Jonathan Ansell will light up Edinburgh's Usher Hall with a live concert featuring songs from The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, We Will Rock You and Dear Evan Hansen - like you've never heard them before.
Jai and Jonathan spoke to TV and Showbiz writer Abbie Meehan to chat about the upcoming show in the capital, and what they are most looking forward to when it comes to being back out on the road again.
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Speaking to Edinburgh Live , Jonathan said: " Just to be out the house again, and that coming together of people, is so important for society and being a part of it, being the reason they’ve come out the house and into the show is just amazing.”
Jai added: "The only thing that I don’t enjoy is that I have to get dressed up and actually put on trousers for this! With the virtual shows I could be comfortable in the bottom half of my outfit and just put my costume on my top half, but yeah, I am so happy we are back doing what we love again.”
Jai, who won the fifth season of Britain’s Got Talent and released his debut album Believe to widespread acclaim in 2011, spoke about the inclusion of new musicals into this leg of the tour.
Jai said: "I think my favourite part of this particular show is we do some newer stuff from last time - we put in a couple of songs from Dear Evan Hansen and The Book of Mormon.
“I think they’re my favourites, in both halves of the show. I’ve always liked these musicals, and the music from the shows, so to have them in our show and to be able to sing them is great.
“They’re parts in a musical that I would never play now, I’m too old now I think!”
Jonathan continued: "The whole thing is brilliant! What I love about the shows is that we’re not singing the music the way it was intended. It is sung in a way where people may not always recognise it from how they’ve heard it before.
“Dear Evan Hansen for example is now a harmonised duet, I’ve never heard it collaborated like that by anyone before, and the other songs just have different feels, different vibes to them.”
But the Ayrshire-born singer Jai is really happy to be back in Scotland, as he tips off the audiences in the nation to be up there with some of the best.
Jai added: "I love coming back and performing in Scotland. This Edinburgh show will be the start of the few Scottish dates we have in the diary, and I’m really excited about coming to a place where people can understand what I’m saying!
“It’ll be good to get back to Scotland, and again I am a bit biased, but I love Scottish audiences. It doesn’t matter where in Scotland you go, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, the audience is always brilliant.
“I’m just looking forward to being home.”
You can book tickets to see Jai and Jonathan live at Edinburgh's Usher Hall on Wednesday, March 23, on their website here.
Tickets start from £24.50, with the opportunity to meet the duo for just £62.50.
