‘Britain’s Got Talent’ shows Britain’s got respect for disabled people

A cynical talent show made room for two talented people, both with life-defining disabilities, writes Fergus Finlay.

I’VE an awful confession to make. I almost feel I have to apologise before I make it. I know I parade myself around as someone with a view on everything under the sun, and I’ve been described as everything from pompous to po-faced. Self-important, self-opinionated, all that sort of stuff. A serious writer about issues of great import.

But I’m a dedicated fan of Britain’s Got Talent. I go for the whole thing, hook, line and sinker. The corn and the cheese, the emotional manipulation, the glimpse of dollar signs in Simon Cowell’s eyes, whenever he sees a new boy band or a spectacular dance troupe strutting its stuff. But I’m not a fan of Ant and Dec, although, this year, I found myself rooting for Dec on his own (or is he Ant? I can never remember).