Posted on 06/19/2007 2:05:17 AM PDT by beaversmom
Singing mobile phone salesman Paul Potts woke up £100,000 richer today after winning television show Britain's Got Talent, and revealed that he will spend part of his prize money clearing debts and improving his teeth.
Paul Potts, 36, won over the nation with a performance of Nessun Dorma in the final of the hit ITV1 talent show, watched by 12.1 million viewers.
The former Tesco shelf-stacker from Port Talbot, South Wales, will now perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance.
Potts said that his win had not yet sunk in but that he was planning to pay off his £30,000 debts - although he was not 100-per cent sure about giving up his day job. Related Links
Potts spent £12,000 on singing lessons before deciding his dream was not meant to be. He began stacking shelves in Tesco but had to quit work because of a spell of ill health.
Doctors treated him for appendicitis and removed a benign tumour, while Potts also broke his collarbone.
He landed a job at Carphone Warehouse after battling back to health and married a woman he met on the internet.
Today Potts said: "There are a few people who are going to want me to pay off some debts.
"Two years off sick knocks you for six when all you have to live on is your credit card. I had to work hard just to keep my head above water.
"I still can't believe I'm in this position. I don't know how long it's going to take to sink in. At the moment it's all a bit of a haze."
Potts, who has also landed a record deal with Simon Cowell, the TV show judge, said of fixing his teeth: "I'm not sure about veneers but I do want to get the crown repaired. It would be nice to be able to smile naturally. I feel very self conscious about it at the moment. But whatever I do I'm not going to change who I am."
"I'm a team leader at Carphone Warehouse but I don't think anybody is expecting me back. I'll just see what happens," he added.
Potts said of his wife, Julie Ann: "I would like to treat her to a nice holiday, maybe a safari. That would be a nice luxury item."
His performances on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
http://youtube.com/watch?v=K_5W4t_CBzg
But I would not mind seeing the guy with his monkey again. He was a flat out riot.
Thanks—hadn’t seen that one—can’t wait to watch. He’s singing two of my favorites.
I bet it makes Simon’s day finding people like this. Especially after going through the American Idol crap.
Wow—he’s great. When’s he going to duet with Brightman?
Impossible!
Everybody knows that England has public health care.
And why is a stock-boy allowed to run up $60,000 in debt?
I can’t stop listening to him. And he makes me cry every time, dang it!
Check this out.
It looks like a lot of it consisted of medical bills.
Did you see this little cutie? She needs to get her teeth fixed too :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cnRXmMn2Ag&NR=1
Not mine!
We should be too harsh. In the few weeks they'll be making fun of us for bedbugs and "morgolans" disease spread by 50 million illegals overrunning our borders for amnesty.
You know I've never watched one episode of American Idol, but from the bits and pieces I've seen on the cable news channels, I would have to agree with you--seems to be a lot of crap.
Have you seen Bessie Cursons? Terrific!
Bessie Cursons Performance #1 -- "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"
Bessie Cursons Performance #2 -- "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
Bessie Cursons Performance #3 -- "Get Me To The Church On Time "
It is very hard to find a NHS dentist they say that they cannot afford to practise under the NHS and most of the decent ones are now private.
Unfortunately it is not difficult to run up that sort of debt on credit cards in Britain many companies offer 5 - 10 thousand pounds per card it does not take many cards to get that debt. Britain is run on personal credit.
You’re right — I forgot about the NHS.
Here are just a couple:
UK health care : Dentist shortage leads man to superglue own tooth
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1739403/posts
In a Dentist Shortage, British (Ouch) Do It Themselves
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1628122/posts
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