Features

Can we live without a university degree?

Dec 12th, 2010 | By | Category: Features

Halle Berry, Oscar winning actress, Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Inc. Henry ford, creator of Ford Motors, Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft, Steven Speilberg, Movie director/producer, and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook.

Now in this list of wealthy famous celebrities, what is the one thing that they all have in common? Not one of them has a university degree to their name.

That’s right, despite what your teachers say, you can achieve huge success without a strong academic portfolio.

In the past few weeks we have seen British students take to the streets in protest as the new coalition government raises the country’s tuition fees up to £9,000. This announcement has brought anarchy to the streets as everyone becomes a target to the wrath of the undergrads.

But what will the students really achieve from all this protest. The decision has been made and however much we shout and scream the decision is not about to be revoked. This is the harsh reality that we face. With a country that holds a debt in billions, and is in danger of seeing many more face unemployment the concern on how to pay back our tuition fees will eventually become the least of our problems.

So why not follow the footsteps of our American greats mentioned before us. In America attending university and paying for higher education is a luxury for most. Unless you excel and gain an education scholarship, the chance of working class parents sending their children off to University is minute.

So now is the time for British students to become creative. If we can’t get the government to reduce the tuition fees, then we must demand an alternative. Provide paid internship opportunities, encourage companies to take on enthusiastic entrepreneurs’ with a PHD in street smarts.  Learn the trade as you work, it beats spending the rest of life drowning in debt. By working you build up an impressive portfolio of work and contacts that you are unable to do behind your desks at university.

So before we start our own French revolution and turn against our authoritarians, think about how we can take full advantage of this situation. On my search for a job, I have found my university degree has been little help, but the work and experience I have achieved after that has pushed me over the top.

This is our time to be creative and step out, with internships and starter jobs we can achieve so much more then wasting three years at uni. So before we trash the country lets grab all the opportunities we can, before the world becomes too afraid to hire us.



New Year in Spring

Feb 24th, 2010 | By | Category: Dilan, Features

haft seen

Norooz, Newroz , Noruz or Sultan Nevruz (depending on where you’re from) literally translated means new day. It is the New Year as celebrated by people of the Middle East and Asia including Iranians, Kurds, Afghans, Tajiks and Azeris, as well as some countries in Europe such as Albania.

Unlike our celebrations, their New Year does not start on January 1 but rather at the moment of the spring equinox, when the sun passes over the equator. This year that day falls on March 20.

In the run-up to the celebrations a lot of spring-cleaning is done and efforts are made to get things looking presentable. This is extended to personal attire and it is customary to buy at least one new set of clothes and shoes – the perfect shopping opportunity.

You could say that the celebrations are split into three parts: before, during and after. The first part is known as charshanbe soori and is on the last Wednesday of the year. Bonfires are lit and people take turns to jump over them. It is believed that jumping over fire on this day will cleanse you of your sins.

During the New Year it is tradition to visit friends, relatives and neighbours to wish them a happy New Year and custom for the elders in the family to give the younger ones presents. These gifts are called ay dee and are often money.

An important aspect of the New Year is the table that is laid out on the eve. This is called the haft seen and comprises of seven things beginning with the letter ‘s’ in the Farsi language. Each item on the table represents something different, for example, a bowl of vinegar is placed to represent age and patience and apples laid out to symbolise beauty and health. Hard-boiled eggs are colourfully painted, sometimes one for each member of the family, and goldfish are placed in a bowl to represent life. It is said that at the exact time of the New Year, the goldfish will flinch.

However the celebrations don’t end there. 13 days later is what is known as sizdeh bedar this translates into ‘throw out the thirteenth’. Houses are left empty as people leave for the outdoors to picnic until the evening. In the past it was believed that leaving the house on this day meant that all bad luck and misfortune left with you and did not stay in the family home.

The New Year is a national holiday spent with family and friends away from the daily stresses of life. At its end, school and work resumes and the New Year is commenced with a clean house, new clothes, strengthened family ties, and with the joy of renewal.

Sale no mobarak/happy New Year.

painted eggs

painted eggs



Don’t Quit The Day Job

Jun 23rd, 2009 | By | Category: Features, Music

This year has certainly been an exciting time for the music business; with the revivals and returns of the best of yesteryear, here at baitmag we decided to take a look at all those celebrities who took a crack at the music business but didn’t quiet make the cut.

So from embarrassing videos to tuneless tunes let’s take a look at why these celebrities should just stick to their day jobs:

hayden1Hayden Panettiere: yes Hero’s sweetheart Hayden is one of the many celebrities who thought her blonde locks would guarantee huge success in the charts. Her single Wake Up Call is admittedly catchy but the Caribbean beat and the club night mix just don’t really work. And the costume changes and ‘disguises’ are just a little to similar to Britney’s signature video theme (how can we forget Womanizer and Toxic). Basically its Britney Spears meets Paris Hilton…. can someone please save the cheerleader here!

Wake Up Call

 

 

tyra-banksTyra Banks: Any fan of America’s Next Top Model will remember that during season 2 the model mogul decided to release her first single Shake Ya Body but not even appearances from the top models and Jay Manuel could save this single from Chart disaster. It’s a catchy number that perhaps didn’t get the credit it deserves- let hope Oprah doesn’t follow suit.

Shake Ya Body

 

 

paris-hiltonParis Hilton: Forever keen to branch out her empire (and spread her unique brand of philosophy and self motivation ‘that’s hot’) Paris decided to release a single of her own entitled Stars are Blind. Thankfully she had enough sense not to release ballads like Celine Dion, but leaned towards a beach tune which arguably did see some success. Her follow up single Nothing in this World is a catchy dance number, paired up with a video that proves staying on Paris’s good side guarantees huge popularity. A fair attempt but the songs (and videos for that matter) just showcase her pout and self gratifying nature- guess she didn’t really branch that far out then.

Nothing In This World

 

j-c-chasezJ C Chasez: After watching Mouseketeer and fellow NSYNC member Justin Timberlake excel in his solo career, Chasez probably felt he was destine for the same success- think again. Despite his collaboration with Basement Jaxx his singles Plug It In and Girls Dance with Women didn’t really create a huge stir in the charts. Guessing from the names the former Boy Band Bopper probably saw this as an opportunity to shake off his neat clean image but with songs like ‘Slept with my Best Friend’s girlfriend’ he wasn’t likely to become a Grammy winning artist was he!

Plug It In

 

nicole-ritchieNicole Ritchie: oh yes she and her BFF have both been victims of the music monster- her single Dandelion is more mellow and sombre in comparison to Stars are Blind. Comparably her single is more likely to appear on our ipod playlists, but not something that could blow the charts away. Good attempt by Little Ritchie.

Dandelion

 

 

 

britney-murphyBritney Murphy: Former clueless star has seen huge success in the film industry, her single Faster Kill Pussycat (turn me out) was a decent attempt at a dance track and is incredibly catchy.The actress didn’t follow on with an album but this is a venture that she doesn’t have to cringe at.

Faster Kill Pussycat (Turn me out)

So here is our list of just some of the few Celebrities who have tried and failed in the music industry- if we started venturing through every failed solo career we could see ourselves looking through an endless list of techno-pop disasters. Doesn’t it make you feel good to know celebrities are not perfect at everything!



Is being a Geek too Chic?

May 12th, 2009 | By | Category: Features, Meliha

For most of us, at some point of the day we decide to take a little time out and do what any well versed computer genius would do…cruise YouTube for stupid videos.

So during one of my recent searches, I managed to stumble across a video entitled: I AM A GEEK! by The Society for Geek Advancement.

Geek or not a Geek that is the real question?

Geek or not a Geek that is the real question?

 Forever curious to expand my understanding of different social subcultures (and distance myself from as much revision as  possible) I decided to take a look at what the experts defined as ‘Geeks.’

The video basically promotes the idea that a ’geek’  is person ’ who passionately pursues skill and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.’ This is a contradiction considering throughout the entire clip each person is vigorously trying to convince the world that geeks are part of a conscious social subculture group, hence breaking the very definition of ‘geek’.

Throughout the entire clip, each person is brandishing either a mac computer or an iphone; basically convincing the audience that if you own a computer or if you can work an iphone you can classify yourself as a ‘geek’.

But by representing and formalising ‘geek culture’ you are effectively doing the very opposite of what sets a geek apart. A true geek does not call themselves a geek. People who do label themselves as geeks do it to belong to a social group or subculture, when in fact true geeks transcend all social labeling and stereotypes.

When the term ‘geek’ was formulated, it automatically became synonymous with social awkwardness. A traditional mould of a geek would be someone who would obsess about technology and gadgets until every other aspect of their life would seem less important, like appearance and social standing.

However, over the past few years geek chic has come to dominate the Hollywood scene, to the point that even the signature thick rimmed glasses are now fashioned by the likes of Madonna’s daughter Lourdes, Scarlett Johanson, Josh Hartnett, Kanye West, Johhny Depp, Mark Ronson and the list goes on.

all A- list Celebrities are rocking the geek chic look

all A- list Celebrities are rocking the geek chic look

So however much you protest to the contrary geeks are no longer the social outcasts who once had to scream to be heard, they have a voice, they have a following- an ever expanding and popular following at that- now even real geeks are too cool to be called geeks.

Check out the video yourself and tell me if i’m wrong.

I AM A GEEK! by The Society for Geek Advancement



The internet…too much of a good thing?

Apr 30th, 2009 | By | Category: Akua, Features

Hi my name is Akua and I am an addict.

In a society where it is easier to be an addict than not, I am constantly inundated with various things that prevent me from doing what I am meant to be. My vice, however, is not drugs nor is it alcohol. The demon that I have been battling for quite some time is the internet. Addiction is defined as a: “Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance…The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something”- the perfect summary for my tumultuous relationship with the internet.

I find solace in the fact that I am not alone. Millions of us each day log onto Facebook, My Space, bebo and various other ‘social networking’ websites in effort to catch up and, to some extent, stalk our peers.

But being an internet addict doesn’t begin and end with social networking. The internet creates a hyper reality in which we can go about our daily business without leaving the comfort of our homes. Whether we’re educating ourselves, shopping or finding a husband, the internet caters for all our needs.

Does the net perpetuate laziness? Probably, but what did we actually do before it existed? I probably would have known a lot less about Britney Spears for starters.

My love hate relationship with the world wide web stems from its alluring ability to seduce me into buying something that I don’t have money for and with the ease that it manages to distract me from doing something that is required of me (on MSN at 2am instead of finishing an essay or sleeping).

The net only seems to be growing in power and influence and often not positively. Only recently was Youtube briefly shutdown after an alleged rape was posted and was only reported after it had been watched by more than 600 people. It is possible to put almost anything up on the net. Britain experienced its largest libel payout to British property executive Peter Walls 55, over online harassment by a business rival. He received an £100,000 payout.

Tales of people, usually children, going missing after meeting someone online, isn’t unheard of.

How much further can the internet be taken? For the most part the internet is an amazing illustrious tool for getting what you want, but equally in the wrong hands it can transform into something quite sinister and unsafe.Maybe the internet is contributing to the demoralization of our nation.

I’m not sure where cyberspace is taking me, friend or foe? All I know is that I am inclined to follow as I am a self confessed addict.



Hair raising record

Apr 22nd, 2009 | By | Category: Dilan, Features

The Guinness book of records is known for its outrageous entries with everything from the most piercings on a face to the longest kiss. And now the longest ear hair in the world has also got a piece of the pie.

Radhakant Baijpai from India has his incredible ear follicles to thank for breaking the record which was last set by someone in 2003.

The 58 year old grocer sprouts an amazing 25cm, in length from his ears, and still growing. Having suffered taunts for years he now regards his furry ears as a symbol of luck and prosperity: “Before people would tease me, not maliciously, but still would ask me why my I never cut my ear hair. Now I tell people with pride about the good fortune that my hair has brought me.”

 

Radhakant Baijpai

Radhakant Baijpai

 

I went out onto to the streets of Angel, Islington to see what lengths the people of London are prepared to go to in order to get into the infamous book.

What would you do to get in the Guinness book of records?



Paul Scholes – 600 Appearances for United

Apr 22nd, 2009 | By | Category: Features, Hannah
ScholesPaul Scholes is a perfect player, a professional on and off the pitch; he embodies the traits of players such as Bobby Charlton, Roy Keane and is a credit to English football.

 

The United veteran is fantastic ambassador of football and I am an intense admirer of the man.  Why you may ask? Because he is a world class English player… yes ladies and gentleman an ENGLISH player whose technique, vision and natural ability rivals the greatest players to ever have graced a football pitch. Because much similar to issues in real life… it’s the small unnoticeable things that matter, the small things which are not noticeable to the “human” eye. Or should I say Sven Goran Ericson’s so called footballing eye. Don’t get me started on that idiot.

  

Looking back four years ago at Euro 2004, when the entire country had jumped on the “Lampard & Gerrard” bandwagon (courtesy of most of my peers of course) even I had disregarded the Manchester United soon to-be-legend. But I now see the quality the man possesses.  His first touch is damn near perfect, his vision, passing range, movement and not to mention he’s got a rocket of a shot and a catalogue of goals which prove it.

 

My argument is this; how rare is it to see a world class footballer who is not tempted by the flares and glares of modern day football, a player who stays loyal to one club throughout his career, a player who consistently performs week in week out for years on end. Few come but so many go; Diego Maradona, Paul Gascoigne and more recently Ronaldinho have all self-destructed.  Just look at Ronaldinho a man so talented it could actually make you cry yet he lacks the passion and mental strength to deal with the pressure of top-flight football to the point where he is looking to play in the ever deteriorating Italian league!  

 

Paul Scholes has been an established first team player sine 1997; he has won 13 major trophies for Manchester United including eight Premiership titles and now it looks as though he will win 9. He is a player with such endless talent and yet such modesty, respect and possess natural passion for the game, he shuns the media spotlight; he does not have an agent and lives a humble life off the pitch.  A player so underrated by the Media but true football fans, ex-players and pundits agree he is the most gifted England player since Paul Gascoigne; however he has achieved so much more and in my opinion is a much greater player. He retired from the international stage at the age of 29, which broke my heart but I could understand why, Scholes is a huge family man and knew that England were going nowhere with Sven. What manager would sacrifice getting the best out of Paul Scholes in order to play Frank Lampard? Scholesy was fished out on the left of midfield even though he isn’t left footed or a particularly quick, the words “retard” come to mind when I think of Sven Goran Eriksson.  I remember Sven’s final press conference after the 2006 World Cup where he said sorry a thousand times. If only he could apologised for inadvertently shortening the international career of Paul Scholes.   He will go down in history as a Manchester United and England legend but perhaps in the future, he will receive the true recognition he deserves.   What a player, what a man.

 

Let’s hope he marks the occasion with a cracking goal.



Hay Fever Season-its back

Apr 21st, 2009 | By | Category: Features, Jemelyn

sore-troat-hayfever Summer is here. The time to relax and catch some rays in the park, to scoff down heavenly Magnums or cooling Fabs, to visit the amusement parks, to wear summer dresses with sunnies and to us Londoners it is a break from the usual miserable drizzle.

But to many people, summer is also known as the hay fever season-the season of enduring endless sneezing, eye-ball rubbing and noses that run and itch. It is the time of hardly effective daily medical regimes consisting of various pills, gross nasal sprays and stingy eye drops. It is most definatly hell-on-earth. Okay, a slight exaggeration but it’s true that for hay-fever sufferers, the normal summer fun activities mentioned above can become mission impossible.

A recent study has revealed that hay fever could be costing businesses £7.1bn each year. It found that out of the 25 per cent of the population who suffer symptoms, 80 per cent of them could not operate properly during hay fever season. As a hay fever sufferer myself, Ico mpletely believe this as till this day I still blame my hay fever for restricting me to a grade B in maths GCSE. If my nose wasn’t pouring the day of my exam, I’m sure I would’ve got a shiny grade A. The survey of 2,000 by the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit also revealed that affected workers operated at an average of 63 per cent of normal productivity.

These days I wake up to start my day with an awful and uncomfortable itching in my nose followed by continuous sneezing and because of this I have to drag my lazy self out of bed in search for my rescuer-a box of tissues. Hay-fever can really suck the fun and life out of my summer but it’s not too bad as long as I make Piriton allergy tablets my new best friend and make an effort to take one tablet every 4 hours. On the other hand, if one forgets to take their tablet, you can kiss having a good day goodbye and say hello to waking up in the wrong side of the bed. Damn you hay fever, damn you.



Nandos on Good Friday? Goodless Graceless Me!

Apr 20th, 2009 | By | Category: Features, Going Out, Hannah

WARNING!!! THIS MAY CONTAIN CONTENT OF A DRAMATIC NATURE 

NandoesI’m not much of a food critic, I may be fussy when it comes to the minute details such as how much sauce is in a dish or how much oil lurks in a plate of chips or indeed how MANY chips are on a plate but I’m pretty laid back, little did I know a quiet evening out with old friends at Nandos would descend into utter chaos reminiscent of scenes of anarchy at the recent protests at the G20 summit in London.
I kid you not.
If I had a pound coin for every profane word which was yelled across between customer’s and staff alike, you’d think I was illustrating a scene from a south park episode entitled “Madness in Nandos – Kenny’s final death”

Before we embarked on what would be an embarrassingly eventful meal at the Portuguese joint. We walked into the cinema and had a quick browse of showing times for any movie, it was apparent that the hundreds of school kids were among us and seemingly had no interest in either eating out, watching a movie or playing pool or even playing any arcade games.  They were just there.

And with the benefit of hindsight, I realized perhaps they did have a purpose, it was to ruin as much peoples evening they could, and this is my account of my “Good Friday”…

I am self-confessed sauce addict and cannot tolerate lack of lettuce and salad in a burger or a meal, so when I recently went to Nandos with a few secondary school buddies in Park Royal, my jaw dropped when I received my plate.

It took me five seconds to count how many chips I’d been served and as a slowly lifted the lid of my burger (the suspense was immense) to my horror I was given two anorexic strings and strips of lettuce, a huge tomato which I specifically ordered against, an onion the size of my burger and no sign of peri peri. I was irritated as this was not the first time I’ve encountered stingy service at Nandos, I paid £7.90 for a meal which I could have compiled from the bins from the back.
Now I’m a reasonable person, I realize times are hard and that the economic crisis is affecting our lifestyles and I wasn’t too bothered when this “reunion” turned into a evening at Nandos, a couple games of pool in an arcade swarming with teenage hoodies and chavs who set out on intimidating anyone over the age of 21.

What irritates me is depriving customers of an extra handful of chips isn’t going to cut costs majorly nor is it going to break the bank. What it is going to do is put off customers or in my case force the customer to complain and request a bigger portion, which is going to affect costs as chefs often feel they have to over-compensate by super-sizing you.  I do sincerely suspect that the chefs are under strict instructions to go “easy” on side orders in order to skimp and save, particularly the ones that hail from the potato family.

I looked at the waitress and she came over without me having to signal, she looked embarrassed, I felt for her as she had not prepared the meal, I politely explained my fury at the mediocre quality and quantity of my food.  While the waitress whisked away my plate, I saw an emerging gang of youths enter the restaurant, the place was busy enough and looked low on staff. The teenagers didn’t appear to be searching for trouble but when they were refused entry, the atmosphere quickly turned nasty.

Soon there were shuffles, swearing and shoving between the youths who can’t have been too shocked at the snub by managers and staff, I could hear verbal threats being made galore. Then out of nowhere, the manager locked the door which left the four thugs in the restaurant refusing to leave and attempting to force the door open so there friends could join them for dinner. How thoughtful!
At this point, customers were restless and according to the manager and staff the police were on their way….

Fast forward 30 minutes later shall we.

Not only have I not received my plate of food back, but my mate’s orders were wrong, not to mention the fact people weren’t being allowed to leave the restaurant until the “authorities” arrived. It was tense, customers were fuming, and our table in particular was badly treated by staff whom ignored our requests over and over.

To the climax….

About 10 minutes of madness ensued when a middle aged man with a group of friends shouted at the boys who were wreaking havoc by eating olives, messing around with the ice-cream machine and helping themselves to drinks, staff intervened and things got physical between the youths and the staff who seemed to abandon every other customer in the restaurant. 

One particular staff member challenged one of the boys to the ground as he headed for the toilets and he was then attacked by the boys, who then waved a knife in the air and threatened to use it if his friends weren’t allowed to leave the restaurant
Meanwhile a crowd was growing outside as friends of the hoodies who witnessed the scuffle banged on the door and screamed coarse language at the staff, some of it racist as words like “paki” and “terrorist” were exchanged.

The manager obliged, unlocked the door and received a punch in the face for his troubles, as the teens fled the scene, the manager then locked the door again which caused rage amongst customers who wanted to leave. Some staff claimed desserts weren’t paid for but they didn’t seem to be able to account for which table owed money. That same middle aged man was shouting again, this time he was menacing as the youths who’d started the whole drama. “Were late for our fucking movie mate, open the fucking door!”

The police then arrived.  (Typical) even though almost 45 minutes late, they assessed the area, couldn’t find the hoodies and took descriptions of the offenders, took statements etc.

ALL the while, I’m starving my ass off, I find myself demanding a refund as does the rest of my table, luckily for the waiter, he complied and apologised for the hassle.
God forbid if I was refused a refund, might have found myself kipping in the slammer because that had to be the worst customer service I’ve ever encountered.
Hungry, impatient, tired and pissed off, our meal out was ruined, in the end we settled for some pizza from Pizza Hut where no hoodies where to be seen.

It was an unpredictable scenario, quite a scary evening at times and luckily no-one was hurt but I would definitely avoid leisure park complexes like those on a school holiday, which unfortunately attracts a youthful and troublesome crowd, I suppose it depends on your area.

Back to Nandos…I am a huge fan, love the food but I do feel more often than not their portions are a tad miniature especially with side dishes and its something that ruins the Nandos experience.

To my fellow Nando-lovers…Bon Preveito!



Britain’s Got Talent most memorable acts

Apr 19th, 2009 | By | Category: Features, Meliha

Britain's Got Talent

With the third series of Britain’s Got Talent already producing some amazing talent, we decided to take a look back on some of the acts that have been and gone alongside previous winners including the welsh opera sensation Paul Potts and break dancing champion George Sampson in 2008. The show has seen everything from singing dogs to crazy dare devils.

So here a countdown to some of the shows most charming, original, crazy and downright bizarre acts that have graced our screens so far:

Gin and KateGin and Kate: Twinkle-toed dog Gin and her bashful owner Kate stunned judges with their coordinated dance routines to disco classics such as Scissor Sisters’ I Don’t Feel Like Dancing. Simon Cowell said of little Gin: “All my life I have searched for the new Lassie and I think I’ve found him. That dog has got more talent than Rin Tin Tin.”

The Deans of Magic: Married couple The Deans Of Magic made it to the semi-final despite the fact that most of their act should have left behind closed doors. The act involved a man lighting flares and conjuring up candles whilst his wife paraded around in stockings and suspenders. Despitr their best efforts, they did little to excite the panel. Piers Morgan declared it ‘boring’ while Simon said: “I felt you two just wanted to get back to your hotel room.”

Strike: The amazing karate duo Strike put a smile on Amanda’s face when they strolled onto the stage but they floored the entire panel with their routine which fused their martial arts experience with acrobatics to create a dramatic perfomance.

signatureSignature: Definitely a firm favourite from the beginning the dancing duo which included Michael Jackson impersonator Suleman and Bollywood dancer Madhu, surprised and wowed the audience from their first audition. This bizarre comedy dance routine was both entertaining and unique and earned them both a place in the 2008 final

Dr Gore: Hammer horror fans were in for a treat when a blood-spattered Dr Gore stepped on to the scene. He received a mixed response with his chainsaw-wielding illusions. Hacking and torturing his assistants Kitten, Viking and Greg, the magician explained he had been inspired by a combination of Charlie Chaplin and Jack the Ripper.

Damon Scott and Bubble: When most of us saw Damon come on the stage with a puppet, a unified sigh of ‘here we go again’ was the first thing to cross our minds. But the act proved us wrong, with bubbles enigmatically giving us a rendition of Michael Jackson classic.

The act became an instant hit with the audience, Damon had the public in hysterics as bubbles grabbed his face and screamed ‘do you give a damn!”

Jack ReevesJack Reeve- The tap-dancing pensioner: At 80, Jack Reeve was the oldest act in the contest and proved a big hit with the audience. His tap-dancing routine suffered when he forgot to turn his hearing aid up enough to hear the music but the former soldier, who listed Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly as his heroes, eventually sputtered into life and received whooping cheers.

 

Caroline Boyes: forty-eight-year-old Caroline Boyes was a hip hop artist and teacher who’s routine to Missy Elliott wasn’t a hit with Simon Cowell in the auditions, but his fellow judges put her through. Show presenter Declan Donnelly famously described her as being “not quite hip hop, more like chip shop”.

Modelling herself on her heroine Madonna, with her gold pointy bra and hotpants, her dance routines didn’t get her past the semi-finals.

Vicky Armstrong:Vicky Armstrong from Swinton in Greater Manchester had a novel act which involved using an axle grinder to create sparks against her fetching metal underpants. Her raunchy performance, to the sound of Joan Jet’s I Love Rock And Roll, impressed the judges enough to get her to the semi-final, with Amanda Holden saying she thought she would get the “dads’ vote”.

Hoop La LaHoop La La:Probably the most colourful and camp act to appear on the show. The trio were not only hugely entertaining, they were also able to perform some amazing tricks with their hoops. Despite mixed reviews from the judges in their first audtion Hoop La La were able to win the audience and secure a place in the live shows.

Baton Twirler Craig: Seventeen-year-old Craig from Leeds started baton twirling when he was three, but as he got older his mum and dad encourgaed him to stop because they were worried he would get bullied at school. But Craig continued with his twirling, taking part in auditions for Britain’s Got Talent without his parents knowing. His talent got him to the semi-finals, where he performed a dazzling routine to Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You.

Even though the exam period is well and truley upon us all, its nice to know that instead of wasting time staring out of the window watching cars go by, we can now waste endless amount of time watching people from across the country make complete and utter fools of themselves on one of the country’s best variety TV shows.

Britain’s Got Talent- the biggest distraction for any student this summer!