She’s only 11 years old. But next weekend, Arisxandra Libantino will sing on a talent show stage in front of millions โ with ยฃ250,000 at stake.
Producers at Britainโs Got Talent have come under fire for allowing the little girl to go through to the showโs final, amid warnings she is too young to cope with the pressure.
Arisxandra burst into tears of relief as she won a tense vote during Mondayโs semi-final to go through to the last ten.
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Under pressure: Arisxandra Libantino performs during the Britain’s Got Talent semi-final
Concern: Viewers have questioned whether Arisxandra is old enough to take part in the competition
But although she impressed the judges with her powerful singing voice, psychologists, campaigners and viewers all expressed concern that she wouldnโt be able to cope with the disappointment if she lost in the final.
It comes only a few weeks after Strictly Come Dancing host Sir Bruce Forsyth condemned talent shows for putting children through the โordealโ of competing.
Britainโs Got Talent judge Simon Cowell responded to those remarks after Arisxandraโs performance on Monday, saying: โIf youโve got it, youโve got it. Who cares how old you are. Youโre 11 years old. Youโre having a great time, right?
โBecause Iโm having a great time as well. It was one of the best performances of the night and Iโd like to dedicate this one to Brucie.โ
Itโs not the first time Arisxandraโs performances have caused controversy. Last month viewers condemned the show as โBritainโs Got Sleazeโ after she performed a song containing adult lyrics about a one-night stand in her audition.
Arisxandra moved to Britain from the Philippines in 2004 with her parents Aristotle and Elma.
They have previously spoken of their poverty, and admitted that if she won the ยฃ250,000 top prize they would use the money to pay off their debt.
Her father, who works as a cleaner, said: โWe had to borrow money from friends and now we have lots of debt. If she wins the show weโll use the money to pay off the loans.โ
After Mondayโs programme, viewers again took to the internet, this time saying she should not have been allowed to go through to the final.
One tweeted: โSheโs amazing!! But I think sheโs too young. #BGT.โ Another wrote: โI donโt think that little girl should have gotten through, too young to handle all that emotion, as amazing as she was.โ
Young star: The 11-year-old singer has wowed audiences and judges with her performances this year
Worries: The parents of Arisxandra Libantino have spoken of their poverty and said if their daughter wins they will use the money to pay off debts
Support: Arisxandra Libantino and her mother Elma who has accompanied her during performances on the show
Leading psychologist Aric Sigman said: โThere is a very real problem with allowing children to take part in these shows.
โThey are not well equipped to deal with this kind of adult pressure and being judged by outsiders, nor with the trappings of showbusiness which include the threat of instant failure and the promise of instant success.
โEven if they receive nothing but acclaim, children can be harmed because their expectations can become distorted. Many people like watching children perform on TV, but it may not be in the childโs best interests.โ
Yesterday a spokesman for the programme said: โWe have stringent procedures in place relating to children who appear on the show.
โChildren are accompanied by a member of their family or a guardian at all times and a psychologist is on hand at all auditions.
โWe also employ registered chaperones at our judgesโ audition days and live shows to monitor the childrenโs welfare and ensure they have appropriate rest breaks.โ
