Dead heat sees 11 go through to Edinburgh’s Got Talent final

Judges decided to make it a Top 11, rather than a Top Ten, of competitors in the glittering final of the talent contest after two acts, Caitlyn Vanbeck and Ross Arthur, were tied in tenth position with 1593 votes each.

Deborah Welsh, Edinburgh’s Got Talent judge and promotions manager of the Evening News, said: “The chances of this happening, given the amount of votes that have been coming in, is extraordinary.

“After several recounts, we still came back to the same result and we agreed that the fairest thing would be to put them both through, so now we have got 11 acts. It all adds to the drama on the night.”

She added: “We have lost some terrific acts from the Top 20 and they should be proud that they got this far, because the competition has been really stiff this year. I’m looking forward to a nail-biting finish on the night.”

More than 15,000 votes have flooded into the Evening News HQ since we announced the lucky acts who had made it through to the Top 40 last month.

The final 11 acts, announced today, consist of eight singers and three dance groups – Hustle, Edinburgh Dance Academy and Morningside Dance Academy.

Liam Rudden, Evening News arts and entertainment editor and head judge, said: “With the high standard of entries this year, the judges always knew that they were going to have their work cut out for them at the final.

“However, we never imagined that the readers too would find it impossible to select just ten acts from the final 20, all of which will add to the excitement at the Playhouse when the top 11 acts battle it out.

“Every one of them is capable of pulling off a win on the night. The atmosphere is going to be just phenomenal.”

The 11 acts will perform live at the final at Edinburgh Playhouse on October 28, competing for a grand prize of £1000 and the chance to perform at the Radio Forth Awards.

Tom Little, editor of the Evening News, said: “The last two Edinburgh’s Got Talent finals have been fantastic occasions and it would have been so unfair to have denied either Caitlyn or Ross a chance to appear this year. So now we will have 11 great acts instead of ten, and I wish them all the very best on the night.”

Zimbabwean Gamu Nhengu, whose exit from last year’s X Factor sparked a public outrage, is set to dazzle crowds when she takes her place on stage as guest performer at the Edinburgh’s Got Talent final.

Piper Louise Marshall Millington, Pulse of the Place Samba Drummers, Dunedin Dance Academy and last year’s Edinburgh’s Got Talent winner Gavin Blackie, from Granton, will also perform.

To see this year’s final 11, visit www.edinburghnews.com/talent.