Reality TV by Amy Andrews

My name is Amy Andrews and I am a reality TV addict. Specifically talent show TV.

Keep your Masterchefs and your Survivors and your Great Races. Give me people who can - even the ones who think they can!!! - sing and I am one happy camper. The Idol franchise, the XFactor franchise, the xyx country Has Talent franchise. LOVE THEM ALL - although I do prefer the ones where its just singing, I have to admit. I don't really care if you can juggle flaming swords or bend yourself into a box the size of a rubics cube. I mean, its clearly talented, just not my catnip.

I love everything about singing shows. I loved the snippets of peoples lives. I love the utter confidence some people have in themselves despite often times no real reason for it. I love listening to judge critique/feedback. I love it when people surprise the judges. I love when they can make a judge cry. I love it when they make me cry but hey....that's not hard to do!

Here are some of the ones I have loved over the years -

Who can forget this amazing audition for Britian's Got Talent that went viral around the world and made this woman a superstar!

And here in Australia, Dahmi Im knocked us all for 6 with her incredible talent in X-Factor a few years back.

Another thing I love about these shows is how they put new spins on classic songs. This guy - Taylor Henderson - was also on Australian X-Factor a few years back. He has this little rough note in his voice that used to make my 15 year old daughter whimper. I was not far behind! I absoutely loved this version of Cindi Lauper's Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

And, I've kept the best to last. Anthony Callea was on Australian Idol about ten years ago now. I was watching the night he performed The Prayer and I will never forget the goosebumps and the tears that spurted immediately to my eyes when he hit the chorus. I knew I was watching magic happen!

What about you? What's your reality TV catnip?