Nothing is new as TV talent shows keep going

Wonderland Special: I Had The X Factor . . . 25 years ago (BBC2) - Those of us old enough know there is nothing new about shows like X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.

Simon Cowell's creations were preceded by hit TV talent contests such as Opportunity Knocks and of course New Faces.

And it was strange to see again some of the characters from a TV show that somehow I vaguely remember watching a quarter of a century ago on last night's BBC2 documentary I Had the X Factor . . . 25 Years Ago.

Part of the Wonderland series and of course timed to go out the night after the X Factor final, the programme charted the fates of six finalists who were on ITV's hugely popular New Faces back in 1986.

Back then, New Faces was hosted by comedienne-cum-cabaret performer Marti Caine – herself a New Faces winner back in 1975. Caine bellowed her catchphrase "Press your buttons now!" and stood in front of a giant neon scoreboard called "Spaghetti Junction".

It was filmed in theatres – the 1986 final was "live from the Birmingham Hippodrome!" – while the revolving cast of judges, sitting on high in a royal box, included Jim Davidson, another New Faces success story, David "Kid" Jensen, Barry Cryer, Bill Kenwright, Bernard Manning and Nina Myskow – aka Nasty Nina, who may have proved some sort of bizarre inspiration for Simon Cowell.

Ratings reached 15 million and New Faces also had a high hit rate when it came to discovering stars. Victoria Wood, Michael Barrymore, Les Dennis and Lenny Henry all got their big breaks on the show. The 1986 finalists had similar expectations.

But last night's absorbing documentary was more a lesson in the precariousness of fame.

Vinny Cadman, one half of comedy duo Walker & Cadman became a serial heavy drinker and womaniser which proved fun for a time until he ended up finding himself homeless and sleeping in a bin for a whole year, waking up one morning to someone dumping a load of rubbish on top of him.

He's had three wives, eight children and served a jail term for drink-driving. "My first wife said to me, 'Showbiz will crack you up,'?" he tearfully recalls. "You know what? It's done a good job."

His isn't the only tale of woe. Billy Pearce, the other comedian to make the final, landed his own BBC TV show but lost his fortune in an ill-fated business deal. Soprano Julie Ascot sacrificed her chances of having children to chase fame. Scouse soul singer James Stone worked the club circuit for over a decade but saw very little of his earnings. Three years ago, Stone entered Britain's Got Talent and got as far as the semi-finals.

It's a cautionary tale for this year's X Factor stars, but there are some happy endings. The 1986 viewers' vote was won by teenage violin prodigy Gary Lovini. Now 43, he's making a good living on cruise ships. He has a wife, two children, a Porsche and a posh house.

And West Midland club singer Wayne Denton overcame the stresses of being permanently on the road, which led to him splitting up with his first wife, to enjoy a long and successful career in the industry.

Wayne, of Rowley Regis, who is still performing today also runs an artist management and entertainment consultant business in Oldbury, and was filmed for the programme getting remarried earlier this year in the Ukraine to Iuliia. He has no regrets about what New Faces did for him.

Review by James Wildman