On the stage of Britain’s Got Talent, 42-year-old Wakefield, Yorkshire native Siobhan Phillips performed a distinctive and incredibly relatable comedy routine. As a seasoned performer, she introduced herself and shared her desire to have a specialized space. Siobhan clarified that she had composed an original song on motherhood, a subject she became “familiar” with after giving birth to a child at the age of forty. She jokingly set the scene by declaring that she couldn’t think of a song about cake, so she went with the far more chaotic topic of being a worn-out, wine-fueled new mother.
Siobhan’s piano-driven performance was a brilliant fusion of stand-up comedy and musical theater. From chronic sleep deprivation and appearing “102” to the weariness of toddler years, her song explored the humorous, frequently terrible reality of motherhood. Her wish to “strangle Mr. Tumble with his spotted backpack” and her relief that her daughter was “far too young to discuss the Brexit deal” were just two of the many humorous lines in the song that struck a deep chord with the audience’s parents. Her wish for her daughter to marry Eric Cowell when she grew up, presumably for financial security, was the ultimate joke.
Throughout the performance, both the audience and the judges were in hysterics. David Walliams commended Siobhan, pointing out that although comedy songs are challenging to perform, she managed to get “real belly laughs throughout.” She is “brilliant,” according to Amanda Holden, who also thought the song was very realistic, particularly the bits about never being able to use the restroom in quiet. Evidently enchanted by her wit, Simon Cowell described the performance as “very funny” and “endearing,” adding that she “lit up the room.” Four unanimous “Yes” votes brought Siobhan one step closer to realizing her ambition of performing for a paying audience thanks to her special skill for musical comedy.
