Interview: Why Jodi Bird didn’t let Simon rain on her parade
When Simon Cowell halted Jodi Bird mid-performance on tonight''s show the audience and other Judges couldn't believe it.
But rather than crumble at Simon's criticism, Jodi started over and came back with a showstopping performance. She told us why.
“It was devastating,” she said. “After all the effort I had put in I just thought this is the end, I’m going home.
“And then he gave me a second chance which was incredible – I came back stronger. The adrenalin was huge.
“The song itself(Don’t Rain On My Parade) was quite fitting.”
Jodi performed so well she earned that as well as a yes from Simon she earned a rare apology from the head Judge too.
“It was unbelievable when he said sorry to me. Singing his name in the song was a last minute thing – I don’t know what came over me! My mum said she nearly had a heart attack when I did it.”
Jodi’s parents sung to her from the day she was born and her mum told us she knew Jodi had a talent from the age of two.
What makes her pitch perfect performances all the more remarkable is that she is deaf in one ear.
“When I do gigs I have to make sure the piano is on my left,” Jodi said. “I’m between 75 and 85 per cent deaf in my right ear.
“I just think of it as something special I can do.”
Jodi said nothing has so far compared to the experience of performing on the BGT stage although she has previously performed to 1,000s at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.
“I was in White Christmas and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
“I also performed with Lorna Luft who has been a big influence on me. She really took me under her wing.
“I also appeared in a film with Trevor Eve where I played a cheeky policeman’s daughter.
“I want to finish my GCSEs and A-Levels and then move to London and go to a theatre school there. I’m just trying to get as much experience as I can.”
Watch Jodi's audition again here.