IT’S OFFICIAL: Ireland's got no talent
That’s the conclusion gleaned from the news the series showcasing Ireland’s weirdest and most wonderful performing acts is coming to an end after just two seasons.
To put that number in perspective, Britain’s Got Talent just wrapped on its 13th season, with plans for a spin-off series, titled Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.
Ireland’s efforts pale in comparison to plenty across Europe too – Bulgaria’s Got Talent is gearing up for its sixth series, France’s Got Talent is on season 13 and Norway’s Got Talent has 10 series in the bank.
So, does the show’s cancellation serve as a damning indictment of Ireland’s lack of talent?
Not according to Virgin Media Television, the show’s producers, who blamed “logistical and scheduling reasons” for the series’ demise.
"Virgin Media Television are tremendously proud of the show and how it has raised the bar for production in Ireland. We look forward to unveiling our new season schedule as we continue to increase our commitment to great content and original Irish programming," an official statement read.
While the series certainly showcased Ireland’s impressive dancing efforts – a dance troupe from Cork called RDC won the first series while another called BSD from Dublin won the second – it failed to inspire a devoted audience.
While the opening episode of the first season drew 470,000 viewers that number was down significantly for the second season, which garnered 330,000 viewers.
Some of that could have been down to the less-than-inspiring judging panel.
While Louis Walsh was worthy of his place and always provides good value, comedian Jason Byrne proved a pale imitation of BGT’s far funnier David Walliams while Michelle Visage and Denise Van Outen just weren’t high profile enough.
Visage, rather unfairly, also garnered negative headlines among the more prudish for her choice of outfits during pre-watershed primetime viewing hours.
While Amanda Holden was able to ride out such criticism on BGT, it proved hard to manage for Visage and may have resulted in some of the more conservative Irish viewers from switching off.
Alternatively, Irish viewers may just have had enough of dance troupes and talent shows altogether with Simon Cowell’s beloved X Factor showing similar signs of fatigue in the UK.
With social media also providing an increasing platform for those seeking to show-off their talents to a watching, captive audience, variety shows of this type could prove increasingly less popular to performers and viewers alike.
See More: Ireland's Got Talent, Louis Walsh, TV
