Britain’s Got Talent’s Malakai Paul on his second chance

Young Malakai Paul stole the show during week six of Britain's Got Talent, with his heart felt rendition of Listen by Beyoncé.

The judges loved him, the audience loved him and from what we can see on social media- you guys loved him too.
ITV spoke to Malakai, aged nine, and his mum Toni Ann, about the audition, what inspires him to sing and what they really think about Alesha Dixon.

When did you realise you could sing?
When I was about seven, I used to sing in a church choir with my mum. That was the first time I got to sing in public, with the choir.

What's the biggest audience you've ever sung in front of, other than BGT?
I did a local talent competition in front of a few hundred people. It was called Xmas Factor and I came second. I sung Oh Holy Night.

What do you think of Britain's Got Talent? What made you decide to audition?
I watch the show every year. My favourite BGT contestant ever was Shaheen Jafergoli and I thought Diversity were really good too. After seeing how good they were I kept asking my mum if I could go and audition and she said yes.

Who inspires you to sing?
My mum inspires me to sing. I also love Beyonce and Wretch 32, Neyo, Chris Brown, Alesha Keys and Michael Jackson. I like singing big songs like 'Listen' and other ballads but I also like singing funky songs like Wretch 32's 'Tractor'. I like a big range of music.

What made you pick the song Listen by Beyonce? Is it special to you for any reason?
I think it can show my voice. It's a big song. It's special to me cos the song says to me in the words 'My time has come for my dreams to be heard' so it makes me want to follow my dreams which are to win Britain's Got Talent and to go on to be a recording artist and to sell albums and work with lots of other big artists like Beyonce.

How nervous were you before the audition?
I wasn't that nervous until I got to the side of the stage. I don't know why I got nervous as there was a good crowd there and they were all clapping and cheering for me. The judges were really nice to me too.

We saw you get quite upset during your audition.... do you think you can overcome your stage fright to make it through to the final?
Well if I get through to the next round I shouldn't get nervous as the judges have now already heard my voice and gave me good comments.

What have you been doing to prepare/stop it happening again? I've been trying to sing in front of as many people as I can. I sing in front of friends and family as much as I can so I can stop getting shy about it. I just sing for them and enjoy it.

Did you think you would be able to sing the second time around?
I knew I could do it, that's why I asked for a second chance. I knew I could do it and I did it.

How did you get the courage to go and do it again?
It's cos I wanted this opportunity so much that I couldn't give up. It was a big chance for me. I proved I could do it.

What did you think when Alesha went on stage to comfort you?I felt happy, she was so lovely, she made me feel a lot better and like I really could do it again.

Who was your favourite judge?
Simon's my favourite judge. Everyone says he's special and knows what he's talking about and I think that too. I like Alesha too, I listen to her music.

How did you feel the audition went?
When I sang the song again, I felt a lot more brave and confident as I knew the audience were behind me. They were cheering and I knew they liked it so I just sang. I was really pleased and so was my mum.

Where did you watch the show on Saturday and who with?
I watched it with my mum, sister and brother and a few friends all round at our house.

What do your friends/family/teachers think about you being on the show?
They are all so excited for me and really supportive.

What would you do if you won the £500,000 prize money?
I don't know, it's a lot of money. I think I'd first want to take all my family and friends on a big holiday. I think I'd like to take them all to America.

What do you do when you're not singing? Do you have any other hobbies?
If I'm not singing then I'm always playing football. I play it every day and I'm a big Man U supporter.
Maliki's Mum....

How did you feel when you saw Malakai break down in front of the judges?
Obviously as his mum I felt very emotional watching him cry but I knew it was nothing more than a bit of stage fright and nerves as he had never performed in front of that many people before.

Did you regret taking him to the auditions when you saw him cry?
No not at all. It's something he's always wanted to do. He auditioned for Britain's Got Talent two years ago and didn't get through to see the judges so ever since then he's been saying 'Mummy I want to go back' so I just supported him all the way.

In retrospect, would you have allowed him to do it?
Definitely, as I said, it's something he's always wanted to do. He loves singing and he loves his music. I'm not going to stop him; I'm going to support him all the way.

What did you think when Alesha walked onto the stage?
I was shocked as I didn't realise she was going up on to the stage the same time as me but she was so lovely and kind and warm.

Is he ready for this? He's only 9 years old, can he cope with the pressure? What have you been doing to help calm his nerves?
I think he will cope just fine as he has a very strong network behind him. Not only does he have our family but a very strong network of support from his school. We all want to keep him grounded and happy. Lots and lots of practice will help him overcome nerves.

When did you realise he had this raw talent? Does he get it from anyone in the family?
I realised Malakai had this special voice when he was about seven years old. We were both part of the local church choir and his voice just really stood out during practices. I've always sung since I was little, it's something I've always loved doing. We're a very musical family.

How has the family/your friends reacted to the news that he's got through to the next round?
Everyone is so excited for him and so proud of him. Everyone knew he could sing but they were all blown away with his performance. They were all so emotional and excited for him and very supportive.

What will you all do if Malakai was to win BGT?
I'd be over the moon; I think I'd be in floods of tears. It would be truly amazing.

We've got our fingers crossed, Malakai! Good luck!