The Talent CONTEST

Nothing, and no one, could persuade Rachel to sing in front of a crowd – that was final

- Linda Lewis

Please say yes, Rachel. The show raises such a lot of money for charity. We don’t want to let everyone down, do we?’

As often happened, I wondered how Mary’s problem had morphed into mine. ‘Can’t you get them to change the date of your interview?’ I asked, more from desperation rather than hope.

‘I daren’t,’ she replied. ‘I really need this promotion. If I didn’t have to go all the way to head office, it would be fine, but I’d never get there and back in time. All you have to do is introduce the acts.’

She paused. ‘Jack will be there to help you.’

As usual, I found myself giving in, the way I always did when my baby sister needed my help. It had been that way for as long as I could remember, and hadn’t changed, even though we were both in our 50s.

‘What about Simon?’ I asked. ‘Can’t he do it?’

She laughed as though the idea was hilarious, which, I had to admit, it was.

Her husband is a lovely man, but he developed a violent dislike of all talent shows after watching the first series of The X Factor. Now he refuses to have anything to do with them.

I tried again. ‘What about Jack? Can’t he do the compering?’ I don’t know why I bothered asking. I knew full well what the answer would be. There wouldn’t even be a show unless Jack was there to organise the sound and the lights.

‘He’s needed behind the scenes,’ Mary replied. ‘He’s the only one who can make the lighting work properly. Talking of Jack, has he asked you out recently?’