All comparisons are odious. Whether Susan Boyle and all of these other names suggested, or Ron Davies and his rant about Chopin and Manilow.

I suppose it is the nature of modern discourse to listen to each newcomer on Britain's Got Talent and wonder how the next wonder will sound when set up to compete with Susan.

Personally, I think we're dealing with an order of magnitude question here. I think Susan would have had this reaction even if she'd come on after the little girl in the tutu or the too-shy-to-be-believed Welshman who is (surprise surprise) singing a song from Les Mis. Each has a level of talent. I think Susan's was well-formed and she has practiced and continued to sing over the years, despite the bushel basket hiding her light. So to speak. She was a professional-wanna-be who hasn't been given a chance until now. Whether she wins, or there is a sudden sympathy vote for the 12-year-old who switched to a Michael Jackson song or one of the others, Susan has arrived. She has been heard, her ship has sailed and she is on it.

SRS