Although millions of people have heard her voice, Loren Allred is still trying to make a name for herself.
After stepping onto the stage for the 2022 season of “Britain’s Got Talent,” the 32-year-old singer revealed to the show’s judges and audience that she was the voice behind the smash hit song “Never Enough” from the 2017 film “The Greatest Showman.”
“But you don’t know my face,” she said.
That’s because it was “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” actress Rebecca Ferguson who starred alongside Hugh Jackman in the film, lip-synching to Allred’s vocals on the powerful ballad, the Deseret News previously reported.
“You sang one of the biggest songs of all time,” judge Simon Cowell told Allred, who grew up in Utah and graduated from Cottonwood High School. “Why didn’t you get that big deal after the song?”
“I was more comfortable singing behind the scenes,” Allred responded during her audition, which has garnered 28 million views since getting posted on YouTube in April. “But I feel kind of like the song was meant for me, and I’m kind of ready to put a face to the song. So I’m here to do that.”
Loren Allred brings ‘Never Enough’ to ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
Allred, who currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, said she wanted to specifically audition for “BGT” because many of her favorite singers are from the U.K. She chose to perform “Never Enough” for her audition, which led to a massive standing ovation from the judges and audience, and prompted Cowell to call it “one of the most incredible audition moments” he had ever experienced on the show.
“This is so well-deserved,” he said. “Because seeing somebody else sing that song in that movie and not have the recognition of doing one of the most incredible vocals ever, and now for you to kind of reveal yourself to the world, was actually one of the most incredible audition moments I’ve ever experienced. I’m speechless.
“Timing in life is everything and maybe this is your moment now,” he added.
“BGT” judge Amanda Holden proceeded to hit the golden buzzer for Allred, immediately advancing her to the competition’s semifinal round. From there, Allred performed Lauren Daigle’s “You Say” and made it all the way to the show’s final round in June, where she performed her original song “Last Thing I’ll Ever Need” that now has more than 2 million views on YouTube.
All of the judges praised Allred’s decision to showcase an original song — especially when she could’ve capitalized on her connection to the “The Greatest Showman” and performed more popular songs from the film.
“Being known for a song that everybody in the world knows must be the most difficult thing in the world because that’s what everybody expects from you all the time,” Holden told Allred during the final round. “But what was wonderful for me to witness tonight was how much heart and soul and passion ... just truth poured out of you because you were singing something that you wrote about somebody you loved. And I could just sense how much it meant to you, and it was a beautiful song, absolutely stunning, and you nailed it.”
Ultimately, comedian Axel Blake ended up being crowned the “BGT” 2022 champion in June, BBC reported.
Loren Allred faced criticism on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
“Britain’s Got Talent” wasn’t Allred’s first brush with reality TV. The singer appeared on “The Voice” in 2012 and got snagged by coach Adam Levine, but she called her time on that show “mentally exhausting,” according to the Deseret News.
“It was an amazing experience, but for an introverted person it was ... just high anxiety all the time,” Allred said, adding how producers told her she didn’t act bubbly enough or didn’t believe she fit the persona they had in mind for her.
“Britain’s Got Talent” was a completely different story.
“Being on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and seeing the response, just from my audition, compared to 10 years ago on ‘The Voice’ has been just a complete shift and a complete difference. And it’s really positive,” Allred told the Radio Times.
The singer did face some criticism from the show’s viewers, though.
Considering her connection to “The Greatest Showman” — Allred does receive full credit on the movie’s soundtrack, the Deseret News reported — and her previous run on “The Voice,” some viewers believed Allred shouldn’t have been allowed to compete on “BGT.”
“I also know you got a bit of stick in the media, ‘It’s a fix because you’ve been on another show,’” Cowell told Allred during the competition, addressing the criticism, per Manchester Evening News. “That’s the whole point of shows like this, that you give someone another chance.”
Allred also spoke out, defending her right to try out for “BGT.”
“Even though I have spent a lot of years in the music industry, people don’t know who I am,” she said in a statement, according to Metro. “Over all these years, I’ve been fighting for my chance to be known and to make it.
“I am an unsigned, independent artist still trying to make a name for myself.”
What’s next for Loren Allred?
Allred released her debut EP last fall, and also performed on select dates throughout Andrea Bocelli’s North American tour, the Deseret News reported. Following the success of her recent “BGT” run, Allred’s song “Last Thing I’ll Ever Need” officially releases July 5, according to her Facebook page.