Especially Ant and Dec, who I love (my Mum couldn't understand their charm at all) and Simon who is really good value (as I spotted 35 years ago).

And great editing and direction.

Julian Smith on BGT has a great deal more talent than Susan Boyle...

Wonder if he will get as much exposure as she has received this past week???

The saxophonist, Julian Smith, sounded pretty smooth but his performance was too brief for anyone to make a proper assessment. I'd like to hear more from him, just to see what more he has to offer.

The young boy, Shaheen Jafargholi, had a strong voice, but not sensational enough to make him stand out from the many other good child singers. Charlie Green, from last year's show, had a much broader appeal. Maybe Shaheen will polish up for the second round. Samantha made me cringe when she said her stuff about only ever getting goose bumps with Paul Potts and George Sampson, and now this boy. She does talk some nonsense at times, but I guess it's all for the camera.

If I had to choose one act from tonight it would be one of the above. But the overall standard wasn't that great.

As for the three awful girl singers, especially the one with attitude, I can't help thinking they must have been a plant. It all seemed so contrived. Not the best hour I've spent in front of the TV.

I disagree re your opinion on Shaheen. Leagues ahead of Charlie. Far more marketable voice, and he can genuinely pull off the riffs. Shows Susan Boyle for the average unremarkable singer that she is.

You might recognise this if you watched more closely. Who's Samantha?

Yes PBS - I think you mean Amanda!

I thought the saxophonoist was good (I actually hate the instrument except on Baker Street). The dimpled child was OK if a bit "Jackson by numbers".

It is very good TV though. Better at 60 mins than 90.

I thought the kid had power but not much else. No real stage presence, and beneath the power his voice wasn't remarkable. I love saxophones, but I prefer the tenor. Wesley McGoogan on Hazel O'Connor's Will You is my favourite sax solo, although I agree that Baker Street was also a good performance.

A brilliant and spot on review...

www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/apr/20/last-night-tv

Yes I mean Amanda. I always call her Samantha. I'm not sure how that started, or why, and didn't realise I'd done so on here. Oh well, I think most people knew who I meant.

I stand by my opinions of the acts.

Short review, to the point, maybe with tongue slightly in cheek.

The parot was actually the cutest thing on the stage, and possibly the most real part of the entire show. Of course, to be fair, it is possible that Shaheen came with two or three backing tapes to choose from on the night, depending on any last minute change of mood. He wouldn't be the first singer to do that. But I think most of us have known for some time that reality shows are mostly anything but.

I still feel for young Daniel, who was told by judge Amanda that he was the Billy Elliot of the competition and could easily go on to win the final - then to be dumped at the selection stage while seeing other less talented acts with zero chance of winning go through the next stage. It's not about having wall to wall talent; it's about putting on a show whith sufficient controversy to keep it in the headlines. Piers had to choose Strike above Charlie Green, because that decision drew a bigger response from the public. As I told Charlie afterwards, he got a standing ovation from the audience, and it is the public who make you a star regardless of what a small panel of three judges say. Since then, he's toured the world, had TV appearances and sell out concerts from the Philipinnes to the USA, released a fairly successful digi album, and appeared in a short movie.

Re no stage presence, having seen him in Thriller Live, I would disagree. Great vocal control and vibrato. Not quite as good as Jazmine Sullivan when she was 11, but then she's an one-off...

The editing is begining to irritate me. Endless cuts to Tefal head and Dec in the wings, the soppy soundtrack when appropriate and the reactions from the judges mid performance. I cant help but think that they're not genuine reactions at the time. Just put in at a time that looks good in the editing suite. Its becoming transparent. Not a good sign. Surely this has to be the last series?