Pizza with Mad-on-a-Brink

One of my many resolutions for 2009 is to continue meeting interesting, creative and inspirational people. After all, that's what has largely kept me ambitious and focused throughout my journalistic career and it sure makes the world a more intriguing place in which to hang out.

I got off to a good start at the weekend at a pizza party hosted by Evelyne Brink. Regular readers of this blog will remember Evelyne as the Madonna impersonator who had a short-lived starring role on the BBC's The One and Only show back in January last year.

Her party guests included actor, magician and screenplay writer Leon Metcalfe and Angelina Joly look-a-like Sienna Taylor. Leon, as it turned out, has recently starred as the mentor character Terry in a stage-based version of Boy A, written by my mate Jonathan Trigell. Small world, full of coincidences eh?!

For the event organisers out there, both Evelyne and Sienna Taylor are available to hire as Madonna or Angelina-alikes. Check out Sienna's website here .

Evelyne's latest project is Mad-on-a-Brink . It sees the material girl writing comedy including a parody of Madonna's 1992 hit 'This used to be my Playground'. Check out the video for 'This used to be my Husband' below. I'm happy to pass on all comments and feedback.

Material Girl

Evelyne Brink debuted on live TV last night as the Material Girl herself and discovered first-hand what reality television is all about. She glided her way through the MTV video routine to the 80's Madge classic in one perfect take. And she sang through her secret heart-ache of loosing her 98 year-old Pappy just 24 hours earlier.

She was the sixth performer to take to the stage and found that judges David and Carrie Grant had just been warming up. Carrie had warned Britney tribute act Tara that the competition would be split into those that sing and sound like their idols and those that have to dance and sing. When Eve came face-to-face with the vocal coaches, Carrie took the opportunity to stress her point again by giving our Material girl a dressing down. Whilst Graham Norton made the equivalent of a goalkeeping howler by stating that Madonna herself isn't a very good singer.

The first few acts on last night's The One and Only had been show openers, easing the licence payer into their Saturday night entertainment and receiving faint praise (lord only knows what Simon Cowell would have had to say about Ed's Elton or Tony's Robbie if X-Factor had been pulling the strings). Once Beeb viewers were settled-in, David and Carrie took it in turns to stick the knife in to Rod, Kylie and Tom Jones and push for ratings.

Our Material girl has a great voice, is a true entertainer and should not have been in the bottom two last night. She survived because her fellow contestants voted to keep the greater of the two remaining talents. As the competition hots up, how long will it be before they start to vote strategically?

Evelyne needs the public's vote to go far in this competition. She is battling against larger fan bases, local community backing and school children support from different parts of the country. In today's reality TV, it is no coincidence that the X-Factor final was England versus Scotland, versus Wales. Evelyne needs the support of those that believe she's the more talented. She needs votes from Madonna fans that wish to see her perform a back-catalogue of classics every Saturday night. And most of all she needs votes from anyone and everyone that knows her.
I spoke to Eve on Wednesday as she was being put through a full dress rehearsal of Material Girl. She is so excited to have been given this opportunity. Lets help her to achieve her dream.
Check out Evelyne's performances as Madonna

The One and Only Madonna is... Diva Eve!

Whenever the tabloids publish mugshots of wannabes that have been plucked from obscurity, about to be thrust into the fickle spotlight of fame by appearing on the latest reality TV show, I always scan the profiles to see if I know any of them. I never expect to, I'm sure that I'd know if a friend of mine was locked up in a hotel somewhere, being prepared for their fifteen minutes of media frenzy. But I still check, I think we all do.
On Saturday, 5 January, The One and Only, the BBC's search for a tribute act to spend three months performing in Las Vegas began with the pre-recorded auditions that will see 12 successful impersonators battle it out every Saturday night in a live X-Factor style show.
Evelyne Brink, friend and Madonna tribute act had warned me she would make her television debut in 2008. She'd emailed me that Saturday afternoon to say that she was appearing on The One and Only. And she'd even hinted that she was staying in a hotel. But still it didn't register that she'd won her audition and soon, I'd be cheering on someone I know as she swims with sharks in the reality TV fishbowl. Evelyne (Diva Eve as she's better known) will win a lot of fans by competing on the BBC 1 talent show. Her feisty confidence mixed with raw talent and a great voice should see her emerge as a strong contender for the main prize. Good luck to you Diva Eve, the UK is watching and we'll be voting for you!
Check out Evelyne's performances as Madonna