I was on BBC TV Show Any Dream Will Do - ask me anything!

[Givememycolouredcoat]

Hi everyone! I’m excited to be here for an Ask Me Anything. I appeared the 2007 BBC show Any Dream Will Do, and since then I’ve been working on and off in the entertainment industry. I’m happy to share my experience, from what it was like on the show (especially with “the Lord” Andrew Lloyd Webber) to navigating a career in performing arts, and offer advice to anyone, especially young people, who are hoping to make it in the industry- I’ve seen a lot of posts based on this and thought this Q&A would be fun! Ask me anything about auditions, training, career paths, or even life behind the scenes!

just to be clear I did not win the show!

ps. Not sure anyone will remember haha! Won’t answer anything too risqué either 😛

Did you keep in contact with other contestants after the show? Did you predict who would win correctly? If not who did you think would win?

What was John Barrowman like? Did you see any inappropriate behaviour?
Did Lee and Denise’s romance start during the show?
whats Denise like?

I loved that show! Were you in the final line up and have you worked in the west end/touring since?

As a huge Joseph fan, I'm watching with interest!

Oh I loved watching this!

Do you think your performance skills improved thanks to any training/tutoring you got on the show or was the main benefit the experience/exposure side of things?

Oh I loved that programme. I was also wondering about Lee and Denise - it was a bit of a surprise when that all came out!

Just via social media, a lot of us move in the same circles so I so occasionally see the odd “Joseph” in the wild however I didn’t make any incredibly close friendships.

I did predict who would win correctly. Most of us viewed Lee as the main competition.

Didn’t see anything inappropriate with John, however I was a bit bemused at the kissing task with him in the follow up Nancy show the following year. He was just as you see on TV although obviously had his favourites as did most of the judges.

most of the boys fancied Denise, I can’t say I ever saw anything going on between her and Lee, but Lee had a long term girlfriend during the course of the show.

To everyone asking about Lee and Denise, Lee had a long term girlfriend during the course of the show and I never saw anything inappropriate happen

I loved this show (and the Nancy & Dorothy versions too)! My pick for Joseph was Daniel but there were so many really talented performers on it.
Did being on the show help your career progress, or was there any snobbery because it was a television show?

In my case there was a few raised eyebrows purely as I had done quite a few professional things before the show. It was almost like “you’ve trained here, you’ve done this, why are you resorting to reality TV?”

but in this game it’s 99% rejection and I and presumably most of the other lads knew it was a valuable experience with guidance from one of the most well respected guys in theatre so don’t regret going.

I found that it didn’t really help or hinder my career. I got far more auditions after the show was over however the amount of parts I ended up getting was about the same as I had got before the show.

Nothing to ask really but this is something of a soundtrack to my childhood (Donny Osmond that is!)

I closed my eyes, pulled back the curtains…

I would say the training and tutoring was the most valuable bit of being on the show. They really taught me to go back to the chalkboard- I openly admit I had learned a lot of slick tricks through being quite self taught that I had to get out my system. I needed that critique too every week as I was probably too cocky.

The exposure was good to begin with, and I did get asked along to a lot of auditions (previously I tended to apply myself) however I feel like I didn’t get any more or less parts than I had done before the show. What made a difference was a lot of these parts were in London theatres as opposed to smaller gigs which was a huge challenge at first but I loved it. Unfortunately as I’ve got older the parts have fizzled out a bit compared to then but I do still work in the performance industry.

I love Joseph ❤️

I went to see the one with Alexandra Burke in when it toured. She was so good in it. Really made me realise what a good singer she is

I loved Any Dream Will Do! I auditioned for I'd Do Anything but got no further than that first audition!

Have you had the opportunity to play Joseph since the show?

Did you end up meeting the judges or just the producers?

I have played Joseph both as a lead and understudy capacity

It was just the producers, I assume that's who they were, anyway. I went along to a big hotel, queued up with everyone else, and when it was my turn I sang It's A Fine Life. I can't remember what they said to me, but I didn't get called back afterwards, so that was that. Jodie was amazing though, I wouldn't have had a hope next to her!

Jodie was great I too think she was the strongest that night. I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the final (all the Joseph’s that could make it back came and Lee performed) and be invited to the do afterwards, and harping back to when I said earlier that the judges had their favourite, ALW made no secret of his disappointment that Jodie won. He acted like a bit of a spoilt brat and I’m still positive that was the reason why there was no reality show the following year.

What is your favourite role you have played (principal, supporting or ensemble/swing)?

Who did he want to win

'Hi everyone! I’m excited to be here for an Ask Me Anything.'

Why ?

are you a regular MumsNetter and thought you would do it now

or have you just joined ?

Or have you been asked to do this ?

Incidentally one of my husband’s students was on I’d Do Anything as a potential Oliver (he wasn’t his student then, my husband taught him later).