Star Struck by Anne-Marie O'Connor Read Free Book Online

thought.
    ‘Carrie?’
    ‘Absolutely one hundred per cent yes! We’ve just put some one through who was dressed as a giraffe and you’re turning her down?’
    Good point, Catherine thought.
    ‘Thank you,’ Richard said. He definitely wore the trousers around here.
    Carrie had one last go at defending Catherine. ‘She’s twenty-four. If we send her away she’ll be too old for the category next year.’ Catherine knew that it was the unspoken rule that the only successful
Star Maker
winners were the ones who came from the under-twenty-five category. The public wants its stars to be youthful.
    Richard Forster looked at her, thought for a moment and then proceeded to sum things up for Catherine. ‘Here’s the thing,’ he said – Catherine wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the thing – ‘you can sing. And there’s definitely something about you, but – as Cherie said – I’m not sure you’re ready for this competition. America will be extremely tough.’
    Catherine hung her head waiting for the inevitable.
    ‘It’s a no, Catherine.’
    Catherine was gutted, in the most extreme sense of the word. It was exactly like all her guts had been ripped out of her and dumped on the floor. Her family would
definitely
be on the TV with their performance and she would become a laughing stock. A rejected laughing stock. She nodded meekly and headed for the door. The short walk felt like a day-long trek.
    Jason P. Longford pounced on her as soon as she came out of the audition room. The camera was rolling and he was charm personified. ‘Catherine, how did it go?’
    She shook her head, unable to reply.
    ‘Was it a no?’ He asked, oozing fake compassion.
    Catherine nodded and walked off. Jason followed her with his crew. ‘What did Richard say?’
    ‘He said no.’
    Catherine discerned a look of glee from Jason. She turned away from him – catching the eye of the clipboard guy from earlier. He gave her what she thought to be a look of sympathy. She’d had enough of people’s sympathy for one day. It was her family feeling sorry for her that had made her so nervous in the first place. She walked away from Jason and could hear him saying, ‘What’s her problem, miserable cow?’ He was obviously off-air again. Catherine sloped towards the door thinking that this was all her own stupid fault. Who did she think she was? Someone good enough to do well on a show like this? She swallowed back tears and wished that she’d never got out of bed that morning.
    ‘Dum. Dum. Dum. Another one bites the dust …’ Andy was watching Jason P. Longford move his body with a distinct lack of rhythm, as he sang in celebration at having orchestrated another person’s exit from the competition. It was like watching an embarrassing uncle trying to body pop.
    ‘What you looking at?’ he snapped at Andy.
    ‘Nothing,’ Andy said, averting his gaze.
    The door to the audition room opened and Richard Forster stuck his head out. The crowds of people waiting to audition became visibly excited at his presence. ‘Can I have a word?’ he said. Andy and the rest of the crew went to follow him but Richard said, ‘On your own.’
    Jason gulped and followed the man who, for the moment, was responsible for his career. Andy stood outside the audition room and could hear muffled, raised voices and snatches of conversation. He didn’t want to appear as if he was listening in, but that was absolutely what he was doing. Richard Forster’s voice dominated the proceedings.
    ‘When they’re obviously good, don’t let their idiot family lose it for them just for TV ratings … I know what I said, but there’s enough lunatics out there without breaking good people who’ve come to audition … unless they’re totally OTT, I don’t know … like they’re toothless and playing a banjo, then no more families in the audition room! We’re turning into a freak show and this is going out in America, not just here. It needs to be about