Shaheen's set to take on Susan Boyle for Britain's Got Talent title
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THIS is the Welsh wonder who’s hoping to overcome the odds and beat Britain’s Got Talent singing sensation Susan Boyle.
Last night millions of viewers saw 12-year-old boy wonder Shaheen Jafargholi, from Mount Pleasant, Swansea, wow the judges on the hit ITV1 show when he sang Michael Jackson’s Who’s Loving You.
Pop mogul Simon Cowell told him he was the best young singer he’d seen in 10 years – while the crowd went wild and gave him a standing ovation.
He now hopes he’ll be able to snatch the £100,000 prize from Scottish songbird Susan – who’s become an international star overnight, whipping up a staggering 34 million YouTube hits for her stunning rendition of the Les Miserables classic I Dreamed A Dream.
In an exclusive interview with Wales on Sunday, angel-faced Shaheen told us: “Since the day I was born I’ve had a passion for singing.
“People are born with a talent that carries them through, and this is mine.
“I would love to be a big recording artist and I’d love people to know who I am.”
It comes as Cowell said the contest is still wide open, despite Susan’s massive popularity: “There are some acts that you haven’t seen yet, it’s not quite the one horse race you are going to think this is,” he said.
But Shaheen admitted he knows beating 48-year-old spinster Susan, who lives alone with her cat in Blackburn, West Lothian, will be a tall order.
US TV legend Oprah Winfrey wants her on her chat show and Hollywood star Demi Moore admitted Susan moved her to tears.
Shaheen said: “This year the competition is really amazing. Whatever happens in this competition, happens for a reason.”
But the schoolboy is no stranger to the limelight.
We can reveal he had the perfect training for his emotional performance of the King of Pop’s classic as he was picked to play the young Jacko in a lavish pop concert-style show based on the songs of Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five.
He toured the UK with the stage musical for six weeks last year, singing hits including the one that saw him sail through to the next round.
At the age of five he started going to The Mark Jermin Stage School in Swansea and still goes every weekend.
He’s also appeared in the BBC’s Torchwood and Casualty and starred opposite Gary Lineker in a Walkers ad for Comic Relief.
The youngster revealed: “I would love to be as famous as Michael Jackson.
“It would be amazing to be the person that everyone knows.”
But it looked like all his dreams were about to come crashing down when Simon brought an abrupt halt to his first performance of Amy Winehouse’s Valerie – which Shaheen picked as it’s his grandad’s favourite song.
The pop supremo said he hated the choice, blasting: “You got this really wrong.”
But after Shaheen finished singing his second song, all three judges – including Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden – were grinning from ear to ear.
Shaheen admits he was devastated by Simon’s first reaction.
He said: “I thought to myself that this was my one chance and I’d blown it. I stood there and thought, ‘What’s gone wrong?’
“But I couldn’t believe Simon Cowell had given me a second chance. He’s basically God in the music industry.”
Shaheen was brought up by his single mum Karen Thomas, 39, who said she’ll make sure that success doesn’t go to her son’s head.
She said: “He doesn’t show off about it and I’m not a pushy parent. We’re not showbiz at all.
“When he was touring he took his school work with him and had a tutor.”
She added: “I knew the judges wouldn’t tell him that he can’t sing – because he can. After they were so positive, I was in shock for the rest of the day.”
Now Shaheen is setting his sights on bagging himself a record deal.
He said: “It would be lovely to win, but nobody can take away the amazing comments that the three judges gave me.
“I just hope that Wales gets behind me.”
