Great Young Talent

I'm currently hosting the annual City and County of Swansea Talent Show at Theatre Penyrheol in Gorseinon.

The competiton has been running for several years and lists Catherine Zeta Jones and Ria Jones amongst previous winners.

I can also remember announcing Eurovision star Jessica Garlick as a winner.

The show has been hosted by a number of local venues.

I first hosted the event at the wonderful Patti Pavillion Theatre before the show went to The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea Waterfront.

Then we found a new home at Theatre Penyrheol and has moved from bdeing a summer show to being part of the Theatre's Autumn Season.

The Theatre manager Emma and her assistant Kia have done a great job in keeping the event alive, helping the search for new Welsh Talent.

Whilst not every talent show winner opts for a career in entertainment, many have, and are doing very well.

In fact two young girls who won the competition in the past will be with us at the Grand for Panto later this year.

Hayley Gallivan will be playing Alice and Nia Jermin is also in the company.

I remember both girls as being all round entertainers!

They are great singers and dancers and I'm delighted to be working with them at the Grand this year.

However, Hayley is not the first Gallivan to start in a Grand Panto.

Last year Hayley's brother Craig played the title role in Aladdin but that was not the first time that I appeared alongside a Gallivan at Christmas.

That happened in 1970 when Craig and Hayley's dad and I were soloists in the Plasmarl Primary School Christmas Concert - Tony was a good boy sopranno!

Another former winner of the Talent Show Rebecca Oglesby played Goldilocks at the Grand in 2002/3 so I shall be watching closely for future Panto stars.