BBC | The One and Only

It mightn’t be unusual for anyone to be voted off the show, but, having remained safely out of the bottom two in previous weeks, Simon Abbotts, The One and Only…Tom Jones was not prepared for the semi-final vote.

However, with the least public support, Simon was voted off the show and found himself ‘Coming Home.’

We caught up with him for an exclusive interview to find out more about his time on the show.

How are you feeling about the vote?
I’m really disappointed to have been voted off the show. I have to say that I didn’t feel I deserved quite such harsh comments from vocal coaches, David and Carrie Grant. I watched my performance back on TV and thought it was fine. However, I shouldn’t complain too much as it was great to be on the show. I’m just upset not to have made it through to the grand final.

Will you continue with your Tom Jones tribute act?
I’ll definitely be continuing with the act. It is what I do and being voted off has incentivised me even more. I’m disappointed as I really felt I deserved to be in the grand final. But I’m not angry. It has been a fantastic opportunity.

What was the greatest part of being on the show?
It was all great. I loved everything about it.

What was the most difficult part of being on the show?
Nothing prepares you for walking out in front of a live TV audience for the first time! Also, I hated having to vote other acts off in the sing-off each week. It was really difficult.

You didn’t always look totally comfortable with some of the dancing. How did you find the choreography?
I’m not a professional dancer. However, Gary Lloyd, the choreographer is amazing and I totally wanted to incorporate the steps he taught me into my performance. It was just that I didn’t always succeed! He would show me stuff and I would just look at him in disbelief, thinking, ‘I can’t do that.’ However, as the shows progressed, I started to feel much more comfortable with the movement.

Will you be supporting any of the acts in the grand final?
There are two people that I think could get to Vegas and one that I really want to see get to Vegas. However, we’ll just have to see who people vote for!