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Ronan Parke | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1998 |
| Years active | 2011- |
Ronan Parke (born 8 August 1998),[citation needed] aged 12 who was one of ten finalists on the fifth series of the ITV reality show Britain's Got Talent.
There were allegations that Simon Cowell had been "grooming" Parke for two years before he auditioned on the show, but Cowell and Parke both denied having had any prior contact. Cowell said on the semi-final edition, aired Friday 3 June 2011: "There have been allegations made ... on the internet, that Ronan Parke has a previous recording contract with my record label, that I'd met him before, both of which are complete and utter lies. The first time I met Ronan was when he appeared on the show, he entered it of his own accord. He is 12 years old, this is a deliberate smear campaign and it is my job as somebody who works on this show to make sure whoever this liar is, is exposed, and Ronan is treated the same way as everyone else and it will be the public who decides." Cowell has called in the police to assist him in locating the source of the leak, which is said to be from within Sony Music UK.[1] The police investigation was later abandoned, with a spokesman for Scotland Yard implying that the allegations may have been a publicity stunt to boost the show's ratings.[2]
Parke wowed the judges and received a standing ovation from them and the audience in his audition, a rendition of "Feeling Good". He was put straight through to the Britain's Got Talent Semi-Final, in which he sang "Make You Feel My Love". He won the Semi-Final, and went on to the final, in which he sang "Because of You".