Jenny Douglas ready to follow the yellow brick road to fame in Andrew Lloyd Webber's reality musical programme

Published on Saturday 27 March 2010 10:34

ANY Dream Will Do star Keith Jack has backed his friend Jenny Douglas to "make Scotland proud" and become Dorothy in the BBC's new hit show Over the Rainbow.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest reality musical programme, which kicked off last night, is down to the final 20 potential singer-actresses battling to slip into Dorothy's ruby slippers.

And Dalkeith-born Jack, 21, who made it to the final of the 2007 competition to find a star for a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, said Miss Douglas, 18, deserved to make it into the top 10.

He said: "I went on tour with Jenny and she was a lovely girl, always pleasant and polite. She was always asking how you were. I met her at drama school, where I heard that she'd been highly tipped to do well in the field.

"We were co-stars in An Evening at the Musicals, where we played lots of different musical stars. I thought she had a great voice and wish her the best of luck. She should get through to the top 10."

The theatre star, who travelled around Scotland for nine days performing with Miss Douglas, also had a couple of pieces of advice for the potential star. He said: "If I could tell her anything I'd say just enjoy it. It's a phenomenal experience, but you can stress far too much because it's really hard work. But when it's over you don't want it to be over."

Miss Douglas, who is understood to come from the West End of the Capital, is currently taking acting classes and undergoing vocal training at college. An only child, her father once sang on stage with Stevie Wonder.

This evening she is set to fight for her place in front of judges Charlotte Church, Sheila Hancock and EastEnders star John Partridge. The show will be hosted by Graham Norton.

The panel will choose 10 of the contestants to continue on to the first live show next Saturday – but the public will also be able to save one of the rejects.

Since starring in Any Dream Will Do, Jack has performed in a number of other musical productions. The reality star, who still stays in touch with the judges from Any Dream Will Do, lives in London with his girlfriend, professional dancer Alana Macfarlane, but the pair are set to come back to Edinburgh this Easter.

He said: "We're going to do a weekly class at Morningside Dance Academy, which we've done a couple of times before. This one will be for about 60 people, aged seven-plus.

"Soon we're going to launch our own stage school in Edinburgh, although nothing is finalised yet. We're thinking of naming it something like Gie It Laldy, which means 'give it your all' in Scottish, but watch this space."

The Easter School takes place between 12 and 19 April.