Vote for me, says TV hopeful (From Oxford Mail)

Vote for me, says TV hopeful

8:09am Tuesday 17th April 2007 in

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Joseph hopeful Antony Hansen says he is singing his heart out for Oxfordshire in BBC1's Saturday night search for a West End musical star.

Antony Hansen, who goes to St Birinus School in Didcot, recorded a special message and song for Oxford Mail readers yesterday, urging them to vote for him in the hit reality TV show Any Dream Will Do.

The 17-year-old singer shot into the public eye as one of 12 wannabe Josephs in Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

The show follows last year's BBC success, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, which cast the lead role in a West End production of The Sound of Music.

Antony said: "I didn't realise the programme was going out to so many people on Saturday night.

"I was quite nervous, because I changed my song half way through the week to Aerosmith's I Don't Miss a Thing, so I only had two days to practise.

"It was all right on the night though - I was really pleased with my perf- ormance."

Antony is now living in a 'Joseph School', where he practises his singing and dancing from 7am until midnight every day.

On Saturday night, one of 12 finalists was sent home from the house, but Antony's dream of donning the technicolour coat was kept alive.

Over the past couple of weeks, Antony has had to adjust to celebrity life.

He said: "It has been quite overwhelming, but I've also been taking the fame in my stride.

"I've been getting text messages and calls from everyone I know - even random people I don't know."

His 17-year-old girlfriend, Natalie Batten, who goes to Didcot Girls' School, said: "I'm so very proud and really excited as well.

"I found it quite hard to watch him be criticised by the judges, especially when voice coach Zoe Tyler said she thought Ant would be the first to go out.

"But I definitely think he can go all the way. I have been ringing him every day and when I found out that he was through to the finals, I started screaming - then I was crying."

Parents Andy and Wendy Hansen said they had lost their voices cheering him on.

Mrs Hansen said: "It has been difficult to see him go, but we are behind him. We're not pushy parents - we just want to see him follow his dream."

Antony's brothers Ben, 19, Louis, 15, and Nick, 10, were all gathered at the family home in Steventon today to enjoy Antony's only day off since the final began.

His message to his fans can be viewed on www.oxfordmail.net. He will next appear on BBC1 at 7.25pm on Saturday night.