I admit it, I voted 'Jedward'

I have never voted in a telephone poll for any of the TV reality talent shows '“ Pop Idol, Britain's Got Talent, X Factor '“ until now.

Perhaps I, like millions of others, have been duped all along, but all the time Simon Cowell was slagging Irish duo John and Edward off I felt compelled to break my voting duck and make the all-important call.

ITV have apparently reported that I am not alone.

The 18-year-old Irish twins have consistently been at the top of the public voting since the live stages of the competition started, and of course, each time anyone votes it's more money for Mr Cowell and his production company.

With all due respect, though they have taken so much criticism, John and Edward are the most talked about, and perhaps given the career longevity of most of the previous winners, the ones who will probably still be in the public eye in three years' time, albeit as the darling of kids TV.

The moment on Sunday night when Simon could have bought the adventure to an end, like the Roman emperors of old, Cowell had the final say, but strangely did a dramatic u-turn, going back on how he said he would judge the final showdown minutes before.

Lucie, the teenage South Wales songstress, lost out in public vote when Cowell could have saved her with one simple decision, but then again votes make money, and John and Edward will always be a more lucrative proposition.

As sure as eggs are eggs, the lads from Dublin will turn up again this Saturday, murder another song, and regardless of the performance, the votes will flock in.

Everybody's happy, but most of all, Simon Cowell's bank manager.

West Side Story

MOVING on to the subject of talent, on Saturday night I had the pleasure of watching Worthing Musical Comedy Society's production of West Side Story at the Connaught Theatre.

At this point, and adopting a level of parliamentary procedure, I have to declare an interest as my daughter Amy was one of the Jets.

Parental pride aside, it was a superb production and with a 40-strong cast with an average age of under 21, another indication of what great things are being achieved by youngsters in this town.

We have our sport, where we now have well over 1,000 boys and girls under the age of 16 playing competitive sport every weekend, and our music and the aforementioned drama.

There are delinquents in this town, unfortunately we have to read about them all too often, but let's also remember and celebrate all the good things that the overwhelming majority of youngsters do in this town, week in week out.

A slight, but predictable, footnote to the West Side Story run last week.

On Wednesday afternoon, the St Dunstan's bus arrived at Union Place to bring a party of ex-servicemen to the show, their bus, with the name of the charity emblazoned on the side, parked inches over the line in the car park, and guess what, they got a parking ticket!

An NCP employee told me recently that they are not paid to think.

And I thought he was joking...