By: DrewMcLachlan
A British Asian comedian on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent will progress to the next round of the TV competition despite having his audition cut short by judges, who called him “the world’s worst impressionist”.
Irshad Shaikh, 57, who works as a salesman in Ilford, appeared on the programme last Saturday (6) to show off his stable of impressions, which included the Queen, Prince Charles and Sylvester Stallone. Unimpressed with his act, all four judges quickly “buzzed” him, ending his set prematurely.
“I actually thought it was really funny; I mean it was funny because it was sort of the least accurate impressions I had ever heard,” comedian and judge David Walliams commented.
When asked why he was forced to end his audition before finishing, Walliams told Shaikh: “I didn’t want to see you suffer up there. I know what it’s like; it’s tough up there if people are not enjoying it.”
Shaikh responded “they’re enjoying it anyway” and was allowed to continue.
He then showed off his impressions of Dot Cotton and Peggy Mitchell from Eastenders, as well as Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell.
Despite the negative initial reaction, three of the four judges, sans Cowell, voted for Shaikh to progress to the next round of the competition.
Following Shaikh’s audition, Cowell told him: “You are – and I’m not kidding here – the worst impressionist we’ve ever had on this show in 11 years.”
