IT was almost inevitable that hit ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent would transfer to a live tour this year, particularly after teen dream dance sensation George Sampson was crowned its rightful winner.

Rather predictably, the big draw for the throngs of adoring teeny females at the Manchester Apollo dates for this fun-packed variety show was Warrington's own breakdancing George.

But even a star-in-the-making has to deal with the odd technical hitch along the way.

For while you'd think you could count on the rain to fall in Manchester, it not so much poured as drizzled over our young hero at the climax of this fast-paced re-run of the TV final.

The faux rainfall we were all expecting for George’s triumphant Singing in The Rain didn't quite happen on the first of three nights in Manchester - but it didn’t matter a jot.

Young George has got star quality written all over him and no errant rain cloud was likely to dampen the spirits of a thousand ardent beating hearts cherishing every iota of that teardrop-faced 14-year-old.

The fans cramming into the Apollo for this fast-paced re-run of the TV final of BGT have to wait right until the end of the show for their first glimpse of George.

But, amazingly, there’s no sign of impatience from them. Act after act comes on to a standing ovation.

Dance dudes

The show’s runners-up, comedy dance dudes Signature, have the job of geeing up the audience as first act on stage, and a splendid job they do of it too with their uplifting bhangra-boogy.

16-year-old Kate Nicholas and her dancing dog Gin, extreme martial arts duo Strike, and the irritatingly infectious kiddy-dancers Cheeky Monkeys all wow the masses and prove what a variety of acts the ITV show managed to unearth this year.  It all translates rather well to this live tour format.

Spine-tingling moment of the first half comes courtesy of 12-year-old singer Faryl Smith, breathtaking with her Ave Maria.

She returns in the second half for another, as TV judge Amanda Holden would put it, goosebump moment when she joins angelic-voiced Andrew Johnston for a duet of Walking in the Air.

Up until this point, I’ve been feeling rather sorry for the dragged-along-dads who are dotted among the rows of dreamy-eyed potential future Mrs Sampsons in the audience.

One in the row in front intermittently swigs from a sneaked-in bottle of whisky to keep his spirits up.

But then on come sexy string quartet Escala to perk things right up.

These long-haired and lean-legged ladies are hot stuff - stalking the stage with model menace.

They attack their violins with such vigour playing Live and Let Die that even the hairs on their bows start to ping off.

TV presenter Stephen Mulhern, he of BGT’s ITV2 spin-off coverage, is the host with the most on the night – seamlessly linking all the acts together with his witty asides.

Then comes the moment everyone has been waiting for – George slipping and sliding his way onto the stage.

Fittingly enough it comes during an exhilirating dance-off reprise between Signature and cool hip-hop dance crew Nemisis to Thriller.

Just when you think it’s all over, on comes George to ear-piercing screams.

It’s rather appropriate that lightning crackles on the video screen behind him – because this boy is sheer electric on stage.

With every twitch of his hips and shrug of his shoulders there’s an added wail of delight from the masses. He’s like a young Elvis as he holds the bewitched hearts of a thousand mesmerised girls around him.

All the finalists are brought back on stage together for the finale – played out to the song Everyone’s A Winner.

With so many of these talent show finalists set to go on from this tour to record deals, book deals and pantomime, it’s a rather fitting send-off.

Did you go to the show? Why not tell us what you thought by entering our Reviewer of the Month  competition.

Click here to read more about George.

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