Stars from The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent TV shows will be on stage at the Villa Marina on Friday November 30 to raise funds for local charity Junior Achievement. The concert is being sponsored by Manx Telecom, who are offering an exclusive ?5 discount off the ticket price for their mobile customers, and will feature Marcus Collins, Craig Colton, Jamie Archer, and Signature. Isle of Man gymnastics display team Asteria will also perform at the show. They won Junior Achievement’s ‘Next Big Thing’ competition earlier this year.
Liverpudlian singer Marcus Collins was a big hit from the first moment he appeared on the 2011 series of The X Factor. The 23-year-old won popular support with his renditions of ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ and ‘Kiss From A Rose’ to name but two of a series of astonishing performances. He also shone in Motown week when an entertaining performance of ‘My Girl’ put him through to the finals at Wembley Arena. He finished second delivering an outstanding duet with mentor Gary Barlow in the live final. Twenty-two year old Craig Colton, also from Liverpool, surprised his parents and amazed The X Factor judges in the 2011 series with his audition of ‘Hiding my Heart’ by Adele. He also made it through to the live shows and did his own vocal arrangement of ‘Jar of Hearts’ in the first week. Unfortunately, Craig was voted off in a tight sing-off in week seven.
Jamie Archer shot to fame following the 2009 series of The X Factor. The Londoner impressed all four judges and the 2,000 strong crowd with his energetic rendition of the Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex on Fire’ in the first round of auditions. His audition subsequently attracted nearly 15 million hits on YouTube. Since performing on The X Factor, Jamie has gained a strong fan base and has taken his energetic set across the UK.
Dance duo Signature were runners-up on the 2008 Britain’s Got Talent series. Suleman Mirza and Madhu Singh have been performing together for over 10 years but the ITV show was their big break. They received praise from judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan and were huge favourites with the audience with their fusion of eastern and western dance styles. Suleman is widely regarded as the world’s number one Michael Jackson dance tribute artist.
All funds from the concert will go to Junior Achievement which is a Manx registered charity dedicated to helping the Island's young people gain the essential skills they need when they leave full-time education. The charity runs professionally developed workshops in schools with the support of more than 300 volunteers from business and the wider community.
Sue Cook, Junior Achievement Chief Executive, said:
“We’re very grateful to Manx Telecom for agreeing to sponsor what will undoubtedly be a fantastic evening. The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent make for compulsive TV viewing and have helped the careers of many aspiring young artists. Junior Achievement is also committed to helping set young people on promising career pathways and all funds raised from this charity concert will go towards equipping secondary school students with the financial literacy skills they will need in the increasingly competitive jobs market.”
The show is sponsored by Manx Telecom and in association with Energy FM and 3FM. Manx Telecom Marketing Director, David Smith said:
“We’re delighted to support the concert and the work of Junior Achievement and offer our customers a small reward to thank them for their loyalty. It promises to be a memorable evening and everyone attending will be making a valuable contribution to a charity that does a great deal of good work for young people across the Island.”
Tickets are ?25 and go on general sale on the Villa Marina website from Monday September 17. Manx Telecom mobile customers can get hold of their tickets first for just ?20 by visiting the Manx Telecom shop in Strand Street, Douglas, from Wednesday September 5.
For more information go to manxtelecom.com/xfactor.
