Fans of The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent TV shows are being urged to get their tickets for a charity concert at the Villa Marina on November 30. The show will raise funds for Junior Achievement and is being sponsored by Manx Telecom. Tickets are £25, but Manx Telecom is offering their mobile customers a £5 discount off the price of each ticket purchased at their Strand Street store. The show will feature Marcus Collins, Craig Colton, Jamie Archer, and Signature. Isle of Man gymnastics display team Asteria, who won Junior Achievement’s ‘Next Big Thing’ competition earlier this year, and UK teen band EverYoung complete a fantastic line-up.
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.”
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.
Tickets priced £25 are available from the Villa Marina website. Manx Telecom mobile customers can get hold of their tickets for just £20 by visiting the Manx Telecom shop in Strand Street, Douglas. For more information go to manxtelecom.com/xfactor.
