Millions of people have heard Loren Allred’s voice. The former Utahn provided the powerhouse vocals behind the smash hit song “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman.”
But, as Allred attested when she competed on the 2022 season of “Britain’s Got Talent,” very few know her face.
That’s because it was “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” star Rebecca Ferguson who acted 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,” “Britain’s Got Talent” 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 that audition, which has 64 million views on YouTube. “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.”
Now, a year and a half after making it to the “Britain’s Got Talent” finals, Allred is once again competing in the “Got Talent” franchise.
This time she’s looking for a win.
Loren Allred competes on ‘America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League’
Allred is competing on “AGT: Fantasy League,” where the show’s four judges — Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel — have each drafted their dream team that consists of 10 acts from “AGT” over the years. Allred got picked for Cowell’s team, and made her “Fantasy League” debut Monday night.
In her audition clip, which so far has more than 1 million views on YouTube, the Brooklyn-based singer recalled how she was a 24-year-old waitress when she met the songwriters for “The Greatest Showman,” who asked her to come and sing the demo for “Never Enough.”
“I was so excited to just have my voice be in the film,” Allred said in her audition clip, which airs on NBC Monday night. “I felt so proud, because people were hearing my voice and that’s what I had dreamed of.”
Allred does receive full credit on “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack, the Deseret News reported. And the singer said Ferguson was “so gracious and vocal about praising (her) work.”
But over the years, Allred realized very few people knew she was the voice behind “Never Enough” — and she wanted that to change. So she started out by competing on “Britain’s Got Talent,” which she said was the “scariest thing” for her to do. In her first appearance on the the show, she earned a coveted golden buzzer and advanced immediately to the show’s semifinal round, the Deseret News reported.
“It just felt so validating,” Allred said with emotion. “It really was a dream come true.”
Allred again performed “Never Enough,” but she brought an updated version to the “AGT: Fantasy League” stage. The 34-year-old singer said she wants to be on Broadway and put out her own albums, and hopes this new rendition will help her get there.
Based on reactions from the show’s judges and audience, Allred is moving in the right direction.
“I mean, how lucky are all of us right now that we got to witness this live right in front of our eyes,” Klum said. “It was just absolutely beautiful.”
“That was honestly spectacular,” Cowell added, noting that he believes Allred deserves a big break. “And to have that moment almost taken away from you and no one knows it was you and now you’ve got the guts to come back on this show and tell America ‘This is me,’ is so special.”
Allred was one of five acts from Monday night’s episode to advance to the semifinals, where a total of 20 acts will compete for a spot in the finale. Other acts that advanced Monday night included:
- Chapel Hart.
- Enkh-Erdene.
- Pack Drumline.
- Yu Hojin.
Sofie Dossi received a golden buzzer to advance straight to the finale.
The top 10 acts will compete in the finale on Feb. 12, with a winner receiving a $250,000 grand prize on Feb. 19.
More on Loren Allred
Allred is no stranger to reality competition shows. Aside from “BGT” and “Fantasy League,” the singer appeared on “The Voice” in 2012 and got snagged by coach Adam Levine. 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.
“BGT” was a 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 previously told the Radio Times.
In 2019, Allred recorded a duet with Michael Buble and performed on select dates throughout Andrea Bocelli’s 2021 North American tour, the Deseret News reported. Following the success of her “BGT” run, Allred released her single “Last Thing I’ll Ever Need.”
Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.
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