Daliso Chaponda cruises to Britain’s Got Talent final: Takes a jibe at ‘corrupt’ Malawi media

Malawian comedy royalty export in Britan, Daliso Chaponda Friday night deservedly cruised through to the final leg of UK’s most prized talent show, Britain’s Got Talent.

The 37 year-old Manchester City based funny man, Chaponda, who got a golden buzzer from Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden’s during his audition and progressed to semi-finals after putting an impressive stellar performance again got a standing ovation and a barrage of praises from all the four judges during the Friday live televised  show on ITV.

Daliso was performing with his proud family father, the former minister of Agriculture George Chaponda, his mother and his brother in the audience in London and they were shown on ITV in jovial mood.

The camera zoomed in at a rapturous Chaponda’s father, a US trained lawyer and a Malawian controversial politician and lawmaker after the performance as he seem to stand up from his seat perhaps thinking he was being called to the stage to be introduced – typical of an African politician – and their love of the limelight.

Chaponda, however,  realised that the shine on the night wasn’t his, but his son and he quickly pushed himself back onto the seat while giggling like a thrilled kid on Christmas Day.

Competing against seven other acts, Chaponda put up a scintillating performance sending both the judges, the studio audiences and those watching from home on live TV into stitches.

‘Gasps and giggles’

The Zambian born Malawian slapstick-comedian alongside a singing group, Missing People Choir progressed to the final round of Britain’s Got Talent after a stiff competition from dancing clowns and singing impressionists to bag a place in Saturday’s grand finale.

He said: “It’s been incredible since coming on Britain’s Got Talent. People have been asking me where I am from. Most of the people have been asking if I am from Mali. I am from Malawi, where Madonna adopted all the children and I miss my little brother [David Banda].”

Ironically, Chaponda’s semi-final routine wasn’t as quite funny as his audition piece but still contained a lot of resounding laugh-out-loud moments, perhaps he was serving the best for last, and still, he managed to pull up a grand performance.

He talked about how he doesn’t yearn for the ‘good old days’ for a number of heartwarming reasons like beautiful wifi and women being allowed to vote.

He then however cut into real talk, adding: ‘I’m black, 200 years ago this would have been an auction.’

The joke left judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon leaping out of their chairs in hysterics.

The judges loved the hugely likeable Chaponda and the public agreed as he topped the public viewer vote. There’s never been a comedian winner of BGT and who knows, he could be the first comedian to win the competition and perform before  Her Majesty, the Queen.

Now there will two comics in Saturday’s ostentatious final showpiece: Chaponda and eight-year-old prodigy, Ned Woodman.

‘Corrupt Malawi Press’

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Chaponda who in his rib-cracking jokes took a dig on Malawian Media indirectly suggesting that that the media in Malawi is corrupt had both Alesha Dixon and Holden “ugly laughing” during his performance and the entire audience cackling at his controversial funny jokes.

”The Malawian press is worse than the press here. I went to perform in Malawi and I called the editor to send a reporter for a review and the editor said, why don’t you just write the review yourself, give me some money.”

“I was disgusted by the total lack of integrity in the Malawian press,” he added sending the audience and the judges into an uncontrollable hilarity.

“I am glad that I am the only stand up comedian in Malawi.” he further joked.

‘Euphoric at results’

The viewers at home were equally impressed and the comedian won the public vote sending him straight through to the last stage of the competition.

Chaponda was clearly euphoric and ecstatic at the result, saying: “I’m so happy, it’s wonderful. Thank you. I am so overjoyed.”

While on one hand, comical Chaponda made the judges howl with laughter, on the other hand, the Missing People Choir brought them to tears with a touching rendition of Birdy’s Wings.

The Missing People Choir comprises of 30 eldery men and women with missing family members who auditioned for the show in order to help raise awareness of the loved ones they’ve lost and despite a shaky solo at the start of their performance, the choir recovered well and won over the public, coming runner up in the vote.

Singer Jamie Lee Harrison came out in the top three but his performance of Kelly Clarkson’s Piece by Piece wasn’t quite enough to take him all the way.

Malawians and Africans in the UK and elsewhere in the continent including Malawi went on social media garnering support for Chaponda’s vote.

Daliso and other seven contestants goes head to head Saturday night for a grand finale and the winner will take home £100, 000 (about K100 Million Kwacha).

Phily Bowden @PhilyyyBow on twitter said about Daliso: ”Get this man a tour now and I will pay good money to watch! Crying.”

“Finally a decent Stand-Up on Britain’s Got Talent. Could definitely see Daliso Chaponda at the Apollo or his own Netflix special! Brilliant material,” Chirag Maher tweeted.

Facebook was awash with congratulatory messages for Chaponda from Malawians of all walks of life across the globe.

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