Edinburgh’s Got Talent: Billie’s got the mother of all shocks at EGT entry

Billie Finlayson, from Magdalene, only found out she was in the competition when her mother told her she had made the top 40.

The 18-year-old Stevenson College student had never thought to enter the contest, until mum Diane got involved.

She said: “I was sitting downstairs when mum came over with the laptop screaming that I had made the top 40. I was not amused as I didn’t even know she had entered me.

“I’m glad she did it now and I’m really looking forward to performing. Music has always played a massive part in my life and it would be fantastic if I was to win the competition.”

As part of the Edinburgh Stage Experience, Billie has performed in several shows at the Playhouse and in June performed a solo in the Canongate Kirk as part of the Edinburgh Opera Singers.

Now completing an HNC in legal services, Billie hopes to undertake a music degree at Napier University next year.

For her showreel, Billie performed Diva’s Lament from the musical Spamalot, but for the final she has decided upon Songbird by Eva Cassidy.

She said: “I’ll be nervous on the night, but in a good way. All my family and friends will be there cheering me on.

“I’ve been into singing since I was very young, although I began to take it more seriously when I got to high school at Leith Academy. The music teachers Marcella MacDonald and Simone Sahyouni have helped me a lot. If it wasn’t for those two, I wouldn’t have reached the level I am now.”

Asked if her music abilities stretch to an instrument of any kind, she said: “Not unless you count the xylophone. You should see the look on people’s faces when you pull that out. I have no plans to play one on the night.”

Show producer Deborah Welsh, who is also on the judging panel, said: “I’m always amazed at the standard of entries we receive. Sometimes I watch X Factor and think ‘our contestants are better than this’ and they’re not on prime-time TV.”