http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAPrCxkNnvs

A pirouetting Shropshire rescue dog has been tipped to win TV contest Britain’s Got Talent by the toughest judge of them all – Simon Cowell.

Chandi, the ballet dancing border collie, and her owner Tina Humphrey, of Shrewsbury, impressed the judges and even won praise from acid-tongued Cowell despite the fact he was not there due to a bout of flu.

The pair, who have won four Crufts finals in heelwork to music and canine freestyle, were shown delighting the crowd with a spectacular doggie ballet routine on the hit ITV1 show on Saturday night.

Tina Humphrey and Chandi on the TV show

And Simon Cowell told The Sun that he believes Chandi has the talent to make it all the way in the competition.

He said: “Chandi is my favourite. She is one of the best dancing dogs I’ve ever seen. She does ballet.” Guest judge Louis Walsh also told Tina that Chandi was the best dancing dog he had ever seen.

But music teacher Tina claims Chandi is more than just a performing dog.

She said: “She can understand whole sentences. If I say ‘you kiss me’ she will kiss me.” If I say ‘me kiss you’ she will let me kiss her.”

Tina rescued Chandi from a dog pound in November 1998 when the pooch was four months old.

She began learning tricks and dancing routines along with Tina’s other dog Pepper, who sadly died three years ago.

Tina said she hopes Chandi could one day be the star of her very own TV show.