WHO is Shaheen Jafargholi ?

Shaheen Jafargholi lives with his mother, Karen, who is separated from Shaheen's Iranian father He currently attends Year 7 of the Dylan Thomas Community School and, on Saturdays, the Mark Jermin Stage School, both in Swansea. He was featured in a BBC Wales documentary series called Starstruck where cameras followed children of the stage school for six months.

He played the character Troy (Jason's neighbour) in the children's television series Grandpa In My Pocket.He has also acted in the Torchwood episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts" playing Danny - the child of a crazed gun-wielding father and took part in an episode of the medical drama series Casualty playing Christy Skinner, a patient with incurable hiccups. Jafargholi has also toured on stage as a young Michael Jackson in Thriller – Live.

Minor work includes UK touring productions of Macbeth (character - Son of Macduff), The King and I and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (choir). He appears uncredited in Mine All Mine, A Way of Life and a short film called Day at the Beach. Minor TV appearances include The Frank Skinner Show, Nickelodeon UK and ITV Wales News in which he was involved in the celebration to switch on the Christmas lights in Swansea city centre in front of 30,000 people. Jafargholi has also taken part in advertisements for Delta Airlines, Debenhams and DFS.A planned Walkers Crisps advert with ex-footballer Gary Lineker was cancelled.

Britain's Got Talent

Jafargholi took part in Britain's Got Talent, series 3, episode 2. His first audition song was a cover of the Amy Winehouse version of "Valerie". Simon Cowell ended the song after two lines and remarked: "You got this really wrong."[1] Being asked by Simon Cowell for a second song because he thought the song was too inapropriate for a little boy to sing the song by Amy Winehouse, Jafargholi sang Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You", most famously covered by the Jackson 5, and delayed a few seconds before answering. This was highly credited by the audience and the judges.

Jafargholi's previous experience has led to criticism by some fans of Britain's Got Talent as they believe the competition should be open to amateurs only. In response, a spokesman for the show said: "Britain's Got Talent is open to everyone whether they are a professional or an amateur. What Shaheen has done in the past has no bearing on his role on Britain's Got Talent."

As a result of his appearance in the talent contest, Jafargholi was signed to present a one-hour show on his local radio station Swansea Bay Radio, broadcast director Andy Griffiths, said: "Shaheen will take centre stage in our bank holiday schedule. He will present it himself, picking his favourite songs, talking about his experiences on the show and offering advice to other kids on how they can succeed."

For the semi-final Jafargholi chose "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the musical Dreamgirls. When the judges were about to choose the second place between Jafargholi and dance troupe MD Showgroup, Simon Cowell chose MD Showgroup, but Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan selected Jafargholi. During the final on 30 May 2009, Jafargholi performed "Who's Lovin' You", the song which he had sung during his audition, and received a standing ovation from the audience. He did not rank among the top three acts in the final, but finished in 7th place.

Michael Jackson Memorial

Shaheen Jafargholi sang a musical tribute of "Who's Lovin' You" on stage at the Los Angeles Staples Center, at the July 7, 2009 globally televised funeral memorial service for the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson. He had been originally invited to perform with Jackson in his This Is It series of London concerts.

Jafargholi's performance preceded the eulogy by the song's writer, Smokey Robinson. Following Jafargholi's tribute, Larry King leaned forward and asked Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, "Who is that"? Gordy, who, according to King, was moved by the performance, reportedly replied, "I have no cotton pickin' idea who that is, but if I were [still] in the business, I would sign him tomorrow."