An 11-year-old autistic boy who appeared on This Country’s Quite Gifted has stunned audiences – by singing in a way that would be entirely expected for a child his age.
Finley Rice – who ocassionally hums along to whatever’s on in the car – appeared on Saturday night’s episode of the show. His mother, Kate Rice, 41, was described as poking out of the wings and being “not at all keen” to get on the VT.
“Are you going to sing for us?” asked guest judge Krista Shure. Rice went on to perform a beautifully average rendition of Masterpiece by Jessie J, which went up and down in all the wrong places.
“He looked like he was going to be shit, but in that way where they’re inevitably bound to smash it and get four yeses as we play the beginning of Fight Song by Rachel Platten,” said head judge Lloyd Didcot. “So I was surprised when he was just fine.”
Emotional viewers described it as “a real moment” for autistic people.
“Anybody can be insufferable,” Rice said triumphantly. “If one autistic person sees this and thinks, ‘I can get up at karaoke and murder this song’, then I’ve done my job.”
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