Would you let your child have a day off school to audition for Britain's Got Talent?

[brassick]

DD2 (11, year 7) has been asked to join a group of her friends and audition for Britain's Got Talent next Monday.

One one hand I'm quite excited about it - they are all very talented, and it is one of those things that you don't get to do very often (and yes, I'm aware that the initial round does not feature Simon Cowell et al).

On the other hand, she will need a day off school, which I'm not convinced they will give permission for, and I'm not 100% sure I think it's right to take a day off for this.

WWYD?

Give her the day off. Don't see why not.

If school says yes why not, but prepare her for all outcomes.

I would ask the school's permission. If they were to go further in the competition she would need a considerable amount of time off, so it's better to be honest from the start.

What are they going to do, if the audition is on Monday, and they have only just asked her to join them? I thought all names had to go on the application form way in advance.

If she wants to, ask the question. Half the dcs were on a tv show once, and loved it. Great experience.

Sure, why not. She's only 11 it's not like she's doing GCSEs!

Good luck to her hope to see her on the show :o

no. they'll either be crap and ridiculed or mediocre and heartbroken. it will end in tears.

and remember that small girl who could sing but froze and sobbed on the stage.

soft day off - go for it. not something that happens every day and a fun different experience. heartbroken sobbing children - not entertaining TV.

So what exactly is the set up for this initial round, if it's not the televised one with mr high-waisted-trousers et al? I'm assuming there won't be an audience?

Also even on the televised auditions I've never seen them ridicule a young teen, they only seem to be fair game from maybe 15+

I wouldn't. It's crap tv that exploits people who are desperate for their 15 minutes. No way would I allow my child into that even if she was the next Aled Jones .

No. It'll mean a lot of dull hanging around and then either a disappointing rejection or worse, her hopes are raised and she is rejected later on.
Worst case scenario - they win the whole thing and are then thrown into the spotlight without the maturity to handle it.
If they're that good they could do a special performance at the end of term disco/assembly/whatever. Be famous in their own school and see how they handle that.

Yes.

Absolutely not!!! If dd shows interest in this area I will do all I can do to ensure she has access to music/drama clubs whilst she concentrates on getting an education. But I cannot abide these get famous quick things.....apart from Lee Mead who is hot and in his case he was older and already working in theatre....

No No No for all the above reasons that people have said no.
(sorry)

I would have no problem with the day off - if it was to do something a bit more worthy IYSWIM.

BGT/Xfactor etc etc are horrible, exploitative programmes that serve only to line Cowell's pocket and push the fame obsession.

Yes I would

No.
Not at 11, and not for some vaguely talented quite good group of friends.
Pandering to a ridiculous cult of fame fantasy.

Shall I expand. They are all part of a successful children's choir that has already been in the (televised) audition stage of another tv show, albeit on sky one.

They are aware of the possibility of rejection as that is what happened in this other competition.

They are all sensible, well balanced and talented, so I have no fears about it having a detrimental effect on their mental health.

Still no. It's not done in their best interests. It's done in the interests of that tit and his cronies.

What Rockbird said. These things never turn out well.

Difficult one though if they are a group and the others are all going....