America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan spoke with reporters on Tuesday and promised that the new season of the NBC show will both honor — and reflect — the Susan Boyle phenomenon. "From the time [Britain's Got Talent] aired in Britain, thousands more people auditioned in America. She had a big effect on auditions," Morgan said of the U.S. version that debuts June 23. "There will be two or three acts who could have the same impact. After one group performs, there won't be a dry eye in the house."
But there's no replacement for the chanteuse herself, which is why Morgan plans to extend an invite to Boyle to appear on the show. "If she's up for it, what a moment that can be," he says. (An NBC spokesperson tells EW that producers are looking into inviting Boyle on the show.)
Morgan also insisted that he, along with fellow celebrity judges David Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne, won't know the identity of the contestants before they come on stage, as was the case on Britian's Got Talent. "If we knew Susan Boyle had a voice like an angel, we wouldn't have been condescending to her," he said of his time judging the U.K. version with Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden. "It's very important to the integrity of the show that the judges not get any warning."
Although Morgan ended up apologizing to Boyle on camera for being too dismissive of her first performance, he doesn't plan to say or do anything differently on the U.S. version if another eccentric (i.e. unconventional-looking) crooner appears center stage. "We try not to sanitize it too much," he explained. "This is an old-fashioned variety talent show. No one is forcing people or holding a gun to their head. And I've never seen evidence of people coming away from the show damaged psychologically."
I want to just say the judges. Their awesome.Piers, Amanda you judge with a heart. Simon, all Ive ever heard is bad on you. I wouldnt watch you because of it,but I watch you with Susan what a awesome person you are and judge. When they loose you theyve lost big….
NO ONE LIKE SUSAN THE GREAT OF SCOTLAND.
I HAVE A CRUSH ON AN OLDER WOMAN…CALLED SUSAN BOYLE.
IM ALSO KNOWN TO BE A HANDSOME GUY.
SO, GO FIGURE!
SUSAN CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS
IF MORGAN WONT TAKE HER OUT–I WILL
Wow! Susan’s a hottie now.Piers you better get your date in quick otherwise you’ll be standing in line. Susan’s looking great these days!
Ok, Piers,I will let you have it.Don’t you think you are too old to be posing as a beef cake model, half or full naked? 44 is old my man.Isn’t that what you said about Susan Boyle before she opened her mouth, right after you, Simon, and Amanda put your foot in yours.I would say this is a double standard my man and quit leading Susan on,we know you cozy up to her to further your career.Now go put your clothes on,you’re too damn old to be beef cake material.
I like Marks comments! Susan does look good and she deserves all the attention. We all know you Pier Morgan because Susan!!!!!!!!!!
“Eccentric” “Unconventional-looking”??
I find it hilarious the hoops you’re jumping through to not say “UGLY.”
It was TOTALLY scripted! No one believes it was spontaneous. There was comical music playing when Susan first walked onstage, to set the tone (of ridicule) and cue us to our correct view of her (as an object of our derision). That music was certainly planned. The judges’ smirks and eye rolling were just a little too obvious to be spontaneous or real. We got the close ups of the snickers and giggling. Oh, and Ant and Dec with their, “You didn’t expect that, did you? No!” All part of the script. My goodness, the whole thing was scripted, from first to last. I suspect Susan knew exactly the narrative that was planned. You won’t find many people naive enough to believe it wasn’t all staged. It worked, though. It served to heighten the “surprise” of her singing. If BGT is afraid we’re seeing through it, well, we do! Brilliant marketing, though.
I wonder when the BGT judges are going to figure out that we don’t believe a word they say? They will say anything now to defend the show’s practices and, most importantly, remain in line for the money Ms. Boyle is bringing in. We all know it’s the money-making that matters. But it is amusing to hear the attempts at damage control.
I find this interesting culturally. It’s not about the talent anymore. It’s about providing an opportunity for TV audiences to *feel*. It has nothing to do with the singing or dancing or the joy of seeing someone really good. It’s about the narrative, the fairy tale, the ugly duckling to the swan drama, finding the princess – which then touches our emotions. What is abundantly clear is that many people seem to need an opportunity to *feel*. I just wish we could recognize this for what it is. We’re out of the realms of the talent now, and into whatever “drama” about the performers they can think up that will elicit our feelings. Because *that’s* where the money is. People will pay to feel! Only it used to be someone’s talent that made you feel. Now it’s their story. Maybe we’re all too disconnected from our families and friends if we need these concocted narratives, enacted before us, in order to be able to feel.
NBC, don’t do it!!!!! Don’t bring the SuBo phenomenon over here!!! I guarantee the loss of important demographics of viewers. Including anyone under the age of 30. Please. American viewers do NOT want to be a part of this.
Doesn’t anyone realize what he just said, if indeed she hadn’t been the remarkable talent she is, if she had been bad or at best ordinary, it would have perfectly alright to ridicule and disrespect her. Your bad, Mr. Morgan
How very interesting they’re making a point of promising American audiences the same type of story line that attached to Susan Boyle. Michelle’s comments are spot on. The show is no longer about talent but rather a promise that if we watch, we’ll get to be emotional about someone’s story. Unlike Michelle, though, I think it’s all about finding talent in the unexpected places. And this is where the show has to be careful. If they present contestants as TOO ridiculous or unlikely, there may well be a backlash. People recognize that Susan’s story was a set-up. If it’s done too often, it will lose its novelty and appeal. I don’t think that type of fairy tale has a long shelf life. Audiences will get tired of it, and we will want instead what the show promised to deliver: talent. As a P.S., I am also hoping NBC does not bring Susan Boyle into the American show. This particular story really is getting very old. Viewer fatigue will be high. That story is done.
If NBC brings Susan Boyle onto their show, I’m boycotting all their sponsors’ products. I can’t get any news without hearing every last detail about this woman’s mental health or ability to perform (or not). NBC producers: we want something different. If you think it will help ratings, you’re wrong. We do NOT want a continuation of what we’ve been seeing in Great Britain.
I cannot believe how jaded the people leaving such comments on this site are re: the whole thing was scripted! Yea, right and all of the millions of us around the world who’ve watched her audition video around 180 million times are part of the script, too, eh? Yes, some pieces of the audition video were edited before posting it on youtube, i.e. the goofy music at the beginning, but c’mon, if you’ve ever watched American Idol, you do know that judges rolling their eyes, laughing, etc is not uncommon at all. Why can’t you accept that she has a remarkably beautiful voice that nobody expected to hear from her when she strutted out on stage the first time? I do hope that NBC brings her to AGT as I’d love to watch her & so would everyone that I know, not to mention a few million people who continue watching her youtube videos daily.
I’ve been avoiding the Susan Boyle coverage as much as possible, but this headline caught my attention. Piers Morgan promises American audiences Susan Boyle type performers. What does that mean exactly? Someone whose appearance belies their ability, and the show’s use of that as a gimmick? An assumption that we want fairy tales? The times I watch the show, when I do, I tune in to see a series of talent acts, in the way of the traditional college “coffee houses,” or the old variety shows (Ed Sullivan comes to mind). I don’t want fairy stories. And I sure as heck don’t want another media cyclone over some new “discovered” celebrity. If the press starts feeding on someone here like they did over there, I will not watch. Can we just bring back the fun of the show, the variety of people performing what they can do? I know I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that I don’t want a Susan Boyle type performer. Now, back to trying to ignore these articles.